36 killed in Congo plane crash

Khartoum: At least 36 people were killed after a twin-propelled passenger aircraft crashed upon landing in the Democratic Republic of Congo`s eastern city of Goma.

The aircraft, a Fokker 50 plane belonging to the local CAA company, was en route from the central mining town of Lodja, when it plunged in heavy rainfall before landing in Goma. The plane was carrying cargo and did not have the full capacity of 50 passengers, the Guardian reported citing government officials. Al Jazeera said three survivors in the crash were taken to a local hospital, but it was not clear how many passengers were onboard the aircraft. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a poor air safety record and all of its roughly 50 airlines are blacklisted by the European Union and banned from the EU airspace. IANS