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President Kiir mourns 20 victims of Unity State plane crash

Author: Chany Ninrew | Published: January 30, 2025

Wreckage of plane crash in Unity State. (Photo: Courtesy).

President Salva Kiir has expressed “profound sorrow” over the death of 20 people in a plane crash in Unity State on Wednesday, and ordered the transport ministry and relevant institutions to conduct swift investigation into the incident.

A flight operated by Light Air Service carrying 21 people including 19 passengers and two crew members – crashed shortly after takeoff supposedly for Juba, petroleum minister Puot Kang said.

The light aircraft had safely landed earlier at the oilfield while transporting a top official of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), according to SSBC News.

However, after engineers and technical staff of the company boarded the return flight to Juba for a routine monthly shift, it came down in a bushy area three minutes later, leaving it mangled.

The victims include 15 South Sudan nationals, two Chinese, two Ugandan crew and one Indian and their bodies were transferred to a morgue in Juba. Only one person survived the crash and he is currently receiving medical treatment.

“It is with profound sorrow and heavy heart that I learned of the tragic plane crash that occurred in Unity State, the president said in a statement.

He added that the deadly crash “deeply affects not only the families of the deceased but the communities, our nation and the entire oil industry. These individuals were dedicated to the progress of our country and we all feel their loss.”

“In the wake of this tragic incident, I have instructed the Ministry of Transport and all relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and swift investigation to determine the cause of the crash and get answers to the grieving families.”

The president further wished the only survivor of the crash a speedy recovery and expressed condolences to the bereaved families, GPOC staff and all those affected by the incident.

The petroleum ministry said early that an investigation had commenced to ascertain the cause of the plane crash that has become of the deadliest aviation accidents in the country’s history.

 

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