By Lodu William Odiya
The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA) has yesterday confirmed the death of three crew members following a crash of a cargo plane carrying humanitarian supplies in Leer County, Unity State.
In a statement issued by the Aviation Authority, the aircraft departed Juba earlier today carrying food assistance for communities affected by flooding in southern unity state.
“At approximately 08:30AM, the aircraft encountered difficulties while approaching the leer airstrip and subsequently crashed” the statement read.
Local authorities in Leer had confirmed that all the three crew members on board lost their lives. South Sudan Aviation Authority extends its deepest condolences to the families, colleagues and organizations affected by this tragic accident.
The SSCAA has dispatched an investigation team to the crash site to work alongside local authorities and humanitarian partners.
In January this year, a small aircraft carrying oil workers in South Sudan’s Unity State crashed on Wednesday, killing 18 people.
The plane crashed at the Unity oilfield airport with workers of the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC) a consortium that includes China National Petroleum Corporation and state-owned Nile Petroleum Corporation on board.
Several air crashes have occurred in war-torn South Sudan in recent years. In September 2018, at least 19 people died when a small aircraft carrying passengers from the capital Juba to the city of Yirol crashed.
In 2015, dozens of people were killed when a Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board crashed after taking off from the airport in the capital Juba.
In August of the previous year, a member of parliament called for an urgent parliamentary inquiry into fatal plane crashes.
These accidents are often attributed to factors such as poor infrastructure, a lack of stringent safety regulations, and limited aircraft maintenance capabilities.