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South Sudan cargo plane crash kills at least 40 people

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Peter Burgess

South Sudan cargo plane crash kills at least 40 people by ASC Staff on Nov 4, 2015

Be the first to comment RSS Feeds Print this page The scene of a cargo airplane that crashed after take-off near Juba Airport in South Sudan November 4, 2015. (Reuters/Stringer) The scene of a cargo airplane that crashed after take-off near Juba Airport in South Sudan November 4, 2015. (Reuters/Stringer)

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A Russian-built cargo plane with passengers on board has crashed after taking off from the airport in South Sudan's capital, Juda, killing at least 41 people on the flight and on the ground, an official and a Reuters witness said.

A crew member and a child on board survived the crash, the presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said, adding that the plane was Russian-made.

It is unclear how many of the victims were on the plane and how many were on the ground. The plane crashed into an area where fishermen were working.

Juba's Radio Miraya says the Antonov plane was heading to Paloch in Upper Nile State and crashed 800m from the runway on Wednesday.

A spokesman for Russia's diplomatic mission in Uganda said they were in contact with South Sudanese officials over the plane crash, following reports that the dead included the five-member Russian crew, AFP news agency reported.