JUBA, South Sudan: A small aircraft carrying oil workers in South Sudan’s Unity State crashed shortly after it took off from its oilfield airport on Wednesday for Juba, killing 20 people, the region’s information minister said.
The plane, which was carrying 21 people, crashed just 500 metres from the airport. The United Nations’ Radio Miraya confirmed that both the pilot and co-pilot were among those killed.
The passengers were oil workers of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), a consortium that includes China National Petroleum Corporation and state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation, he said.
Among the dead were two Chinese nationals and one Indian, he added.
President Salva Kiir said engineers and technical staff were among the dead, and pledged a thorough and swift investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
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Media reports had initially put the death toll at 18 but Bipal said two survivors had later died. One person survived.
The sole survivor, a South Sudanese engineer working at the oil field, was rushed to Bentiu State Hospital for treatment.
Images shared on social media depicted the plane upside down in a field with debris scattered across the surrounding area.
Several air crashes have occurred in South Sudan in recent years. In September 2018, at least 19 people died when a small aircraft carrying passengers from Juba to the city of Yirol crashed.
In 2015, dozens of people were killed when a cargo plane with passengers on board crashed after taking off from Juba airport.
