By Xinhua
Kinshasa : The plane crash in a crowded residential area in Congo’s capital of Kinshasa was caused by a mechanical failure, said Dede Ngamba, the sole survivor of the accident.
The Antonov-26 cargo plane belonging to private airline Africa One lost balance shortly after takeoff Thursday from Kinshasa’s N’Djili International Airport and ploughed into houses before bursting into a fireball, the survivor said.
“Shortly after takeoff, I realised that the plane was swaying and losing height. At that instant, I saw it hit a coconut tree and lose one of its wings,” Ngamba, who was the flight engineer aboard the plane, said Thursday.
“I don’t know how I managed to escape. All I know is that I fell into a pool of sandy water thus surviving the raging flames that were consuming anything in sight,” he said, adding that the accident was not caused by overloading but a mechanical failure.
According to provisional figures, at least 38 people have been confirmed dead so far while many more are receiving treatment for serious injuries.
Recently, the country has been rocked by a series of disastrous air crashes. Last month, an Antonov-12 cargo aircraft overshot the runway and exploded while attempting to land at an airport in Goma, east Congo.
Though lack of infrastructure and poor maintenance makes it perilous, air travel is the most reliable means of transport in Congo, where much of rail and road infrastructure is non-existent owing to many years of conflict.