A Tracep Congo Aviation Let L-410 crashed near Kenge in Kwango province in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday after developing technical problems during a flight from Kikwit to Kinshasa/N’Dolo. The aircraft went down in a residential area while attempting an emergency landing, and no ground casualties were reported. Later reports put the death toll at 17, including senior military officials.
The transport ministry suspended Tracep Congo Aviation’s air operator certificate and grounded its aircraft nationwide pending investigation. Authorities have not established the cause of the crash, and aviation accident investigators have been dispatched to the site.
Among those killed were senior figures in the Congolese army, including General Likulia Bakumi, the armed forces’ auditor general. The crash occurred near the Manzau neighbourhood, where the wreckage was reported to have burned after impact. Early reports gave a lower toll, but the revised figure now stands at 17 people aboard, comprising passengers and crew.