Sudanese Military Plane Crashes North of Capital Khartoum

KHARTOUM, Xinhua: A Sudanese military plane crashed on Tuesday in Omdurman, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, killing its crew and several army officers.

The Antonov aircraft, which had taken off from Wadi Seidna Airbase about 22 km north of Khartoum, went down shortly after departure, said the Sudanese military in a statement.

A military source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, attributed the crash to a technical fault. The plane with a crew of four was reportedly on a military mission, transporting several high-ranking officers.

Eyewitnesses said the plane was flying at a low altitude before it suddenly plummeted and burst into flames in a densely populated area.

According to Sudan News, the air crash claimed the lives of a brigadier general, several officers and soldiers, and at least five civilians. The plane’s wreckage scattered across residential homes, with some houses sustaining significant damage.

The Karari Resistance Committees, a local volunteer group, reported that several burn victims and ten bodies were brought to hospital following the crash. The group also noted the presence of severe injuries among the survivors.

The crash adds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, which has been engulfed in conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023. The violence has left over 29,600 dead and displaced more than 15 million people, according to the International Organization for Migration.