Photo: Al Jazeera
Juba, March 2, 2021 (SSNA) — A plane carrying 8 passengers and two pilots crashed after it took off from Pieri local airport bounded for the capital, Juba, Jonglei State authorities said.
A senior government official who has not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media told the SSNA that eight passengers were all females including a six years old girl and that the pilots were males.
“I can confirm to you that nine South Sudanese and one foreigner died in the crash,” the official said, adding, “the government must do something to keep private airline companies in checks.”
The official declined to disclose the nationality of the other foreign pilot. However, two sources close to the South Supreme Airlines told the South Sudan News Agency that the deceased pilot is likely a Kenyan or Ugandan.
The airplane, which crashed Tuesday afternoon is owned by operated by South Supreme Airlines; the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) has learned.
South Sudan has a history of allowing outdated airplanes to be operated by private companies that have no records of running airlines.
In November 2015, a Soviet-era Antonov crashed, killing at least 36 people. In September 2018, 19 died when a small passenger plane carrying them crashed into a lake in Yirol county. In August last year, a plane operated by South West Aviation crashed after takeoff in Juba, killing 17 people including three crew members.