Plane with 18 onboard crashes in east DR Congo

A plane carrying at least 18 people crashed in a peripheral area of Goma City, North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on Sunday.

A plane carrying at least 18 people crashed in a peripheral area of Goma City, North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) on Sunday. No passengers survived, according to airport officials.

The plane, operated by the local company Busy Bee, crashed during takeoff for a flight to the city of Beni, Xinhua news agency quoted North Kivu Governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita's office statement. Air accidents are relatively frequent in the DRC because of lax safety standards and poor maintenance.

All of the country's commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are prohibited from operating in the European Union. In October, a cargo plane also departing from the same airport crashed an hour after take-off, killing all eight passengers and crew. (ANI)