A cargo plane carrying equipment for peacekeepers in Somalia caught fire and crashed into Uganda’s Lake Victoria shortly after take-off on Monday, authorities said. There were at least seven people onboard but conflicting reports on casualties.
Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority said there were seven passengers and four crew members on-board and it was possible that there may be survivors. It did not report any deaths.
An army spokesperson had previously said everyone on-board died. There was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in numbers offered by the army and the aviation authority.
The aviation authority said the Ilyushin 76 was carrying equipment for Ugandan peacekeepers in Somalia. The cause of the crash was under investigation and police said investigators had been sent to the site.
Army spokesperson Major Felix Kulaigye said there were seven people on-board and a Burundian, a Ugandan and a South African were among the dead. Four crew members whose nationalities are unknown were also killed, he said.
Kulaigye said eyewitnesses reported seeing the plane catch fire in the air before it crashed into the lake. It was carrying water purifiers, pipes and other equipment for Ugandan troops who were part of an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia, he said.
Uganda has about 600 peacekeepers in Somalia, where the weak United Nations-backed government is battling an Islamic insurgency. It is preparing to send another 800 when funding for transport and logistics is in place. The peacekeepers do not protect civilians, but guard the airport, port and main buildings where the Somali government is based.
Air crashes are not unusual in Africa, where many airlines fly old or outdated aircraft — often from the former Soviet Union — and infrastructure is often not properly maintained. Some airlines are banned from flying in Europe. — Sapa-AP