This archive report was first published on 24 November 2019.
On November 24, 2019, a devastating plane crash occurred in the city of Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, shortly after take-off.
A Busy Bee plane, carrying 16 passengers and two crew members, crashed into a densely populated neighborhood, killing at least 18 people.
Rescue workers pulled 18 bodies from the rubble, while two people were rescued before the plane exploded.
The 19-seater Dornier 228-200 aircraft was en route to the city of Beni, about 250 km north of Goma, when the tragedy struck.
According to North Kivu Governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita's office, the plane was operated by local company Busy Bee.
Busy Bee officials confirmed that the plane was carrying 16 passengers and two crew members, but declined to be named.
A Reuters witness at the scene reported that two people were rescued before the plane exploded, but it was unclear how many others on the ground may have been killed or injured.
Air accidents are relatively frequent in Congo due to lax safety standards and poor maintenance, with all Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, banned from operating in the European Union.
Just an hour after take-off, a cargo plane departing from the same airport crashed in October, killing all eight passengers.
