Many dead as cargo plane crashes in the Congo

At least 38 people are now known to have been killed when a cargo plane crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ageing Russian-made Antonov 26 came down in the the Kingasani district of the capital Kinshasa. All five crew and 13 passengers on board died in the impact. The other victims were on the ground, and the number of dead is expected to rise.

Congo has one of Africa’s worst air-safety records. It is recovering from civil war, and there’s no money for aircraft maintainance. Yet air travel is vital; the country is the size of Western Europe but has only a few hundred kms of proper roads.

The plane was operated by the airline Africa One. It and all-but one other Congolese carriers are on an EU blacklist and banned from European airspace.

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