DRC: Kenge crash death toll rises to 17, military justice loses two top officials
The death toll from the plane crash that occurred on Friday, September 25, in Kenge, located in the Kwango province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been revised to 17 fatalities. The accident notably claimed the lives of two of the highest-ranking officials in the Congolese military justice system.
SUMMARY
Among the victims are Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, the Inspector General of the Armed Forces of the DRC, and Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, the President of the Military High Court.
The aircraft was on a flight from Kikwit to Kinshasa when it crashed on a plot of land in Kenge. Initial reports indicated 13 deaths, but the discovery of additional bodies has led to the updated toll. No occupants survived the crash.
The exact circumstances surrounding the accident are still to be determined. The Vice-Governor of Kwango, Rémy Saki, acknowledged that he does not have definitive information regarding the operator of the aircraft or the reasons that led the crew to attempt a landing in Kenge. “I cannot answer that question; I have no idea at all,” he stated.
Tshisekedi pays tribute to the victims
President Félix Tshisekedi extended his condolences to the families following the announcement of the tragedy. The government also paid tribute to the military justice officials who lost their lives in the accident.
The Minister of State for Justice, Guillaume Ngefa, also honored the memory of Joseph Mutombo Katalayi and Lucien-René Likulia.
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