By Deng Machol
[caption id="attachment_51957" align="alignleft" width="300"] This picture shows the wreckage of the light aircraft that crashed into the Yirol River as local fishermen use canoes to help in the rescue and retrieval efforts. (AFP)[/caption]
Juba. At least 20 people has reported killed in South Sudan a commercial plane crash into a lake on Sunday morning, official said
“The number of people who lost their lives are 20. The number of people who survived are 3,” said Taban Abel Aguek, Eastern Lakes State minister of Information
More than 22 people were aboard the flight from the capital Juba's international airport to the city of Yirol when it crashed. Yirol is in the central part of the civil war-torn East African country. The cause of the crash is not yet known.
Among the dead, 16 are South Sudanese national, including three children and the Bishop of Yirol Diocese of Epicopical Church, while 4 are foreigners including the pilot and the co-pilot, who are Sudanese nationals. Ugandan and Ethiopian who work on the road repair company assigned on AluakAluak – Mapuordit road.
Meanwhile, the three survivors are a 6-year-old child, an adult man and an Italian citizen (Doctor) who working with a non-profit who was in surgery and in serious condition, Aguek said.
Taban said the plane crashed into the River Nile on arrival to Yirol Town.
“This terrible situation is a tragedy, the whole area is caught by serious shock. A plane crashed this morning a few hours ago and I went to the site myself it crashed into Lake Yirol,” Taban said.
This is not the first time for the plane crash in South Sudan, in 2015 36 people were killed when a Russian-built cargo plane with passengers crashed shortly after taking off from Juba International airport.
Several crashes have occurred in war-torn South Sudan in recent years. In 2017, four passengers were injured when a plane crashed into a truck trying to land in the city of Wau amid bad weather.
Since the conflict broke out in 2013, between President Kiir and rebel leader Machar, the citizens has resorted use to plane as main of transportation after the roads has become scene of killing and murdering across South Sudan.
The state government has declared three days of mourning and the flag will fly at half-mast.
