At least 24 killed after plane crashes in DR Congo’s Goma city

At least 24 people have been killed, including some on the ground, when a small plane crashed into a densely populated neighbourhood in the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this morning.

The aircraft, which was operated by local company Busy Bee, crashed shortly after take-off en route to the city of Beni, about 250km to the north, officials said.

The company said the 19-seater Dornier 228-200 had 16 passengers and two crew members on board.

The precise number of casualties on the plane and on the ground was not yet known.

The UN mission deployed in DR Congo, MONUSCO, sent two fire engines to support local rescue services.

Aircraft accidents are common in the vast, conflict-wracked central African country, in particular involving Antanov planes.

The cause of the crash is still unclear, but some sources said the plane experienced engine failure right after take-off, the BBC’s Emery Makumeno reports from the capital, Kinshasa.

Rescue workers and local residents rushed to the crash site to evacuate the injured and also retrieve the bodies.

It was not immediately known how many residents were in their homes when the plane crashed