Five people have been confirmed dead after a Kenyan-registered cargo plane crashed in Somalia while returning from Dhobley town in Lower Juba region.
According to the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA), the plane crashed after delivering supplies to African Union forces on Saturday, March 22, at around 5.43pm local time.
In a statement on Sunday, the SCAA confirmed that the crash occurred about 24km south-west of Mogadishu.
The DHC-5D Buffalo, with serial number 109 and registration 5Y-RBA, was operated by Trident Aviation Ltd, which is registered in Kenya, the SCAA said.
“There were five persons on board (POB), all of whom tragically lost their lives. The flight had departed from Dhobley (HCDB) and was en route to Aden Abdulle International Airport (HCMM),” the statement said. It was not immediately clear what the nationalities of the dead were.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority also said that government agencies and partners were already on the ground for search and rescue purposes.
Initial reports on Saturday said at least four Kenyan nationals were on board the plane.
“I think so. The SCAA didn’t disclose their nationalities. The plane was used to deliver supplies to the KDF in Dhobley,” a source in Mogadishu told the Nation.
The cargo plane was said to have experienced mechanical problems while in Dhobley on Saturday, but reports said it had been fixed, according to the Somaliland Standard.
The SCAA has said it will provide more information on the tragedy as it becomes available, while promising to conduct a thorough investigation in collaboration with the government to determine the cause of the accident.
