Update on tragic humanitarian airlines crash in DRC

by Jon Thompson on September 5, 2008

AirServ has an update on recovery efforts in the DRC of one of their airplanes that crashed Monday, Sept 1 outside of Bukavu:

Air Serv International and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) are coordinating efforts to recover the passengers on board the aircraft which went down in the DRC on Monday. A team comprised of personnel from Air Serv International, MONUC, DRC Civil Aviation (CAA), and South African Special Rescue Teams reached the accident site early this morning.

The Beechcraft 1900C, operated by CemAir, was en route from Kisangani to Bukavu on Monday afternoon, September 1. The aircraft was found early Tuesday morning on a steep ridge nine miles northwest of Bukavu.

After several unsuccessful attempts to reach the remote site by air, the search teams set out on foot and were able to clear a landing site, where MONUC peacekeeping troops landed MI-8 helicopters. The response teams confirmed that all 17 casualties have been accounted for.

Read on…

Again, our thoughts are with the family members and friends of those individuals lost in the crash.

UPDATE: Reuters Africa and the International Herald Tribune are following the story.

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