This archive report was first published on 6 May 2020.
On Monday, a plane crashed near the airstrip of Bardale town in Somalia's Bay region, about 275 kilometres southwest of the capital Mogadishu.
The light aircraft belonged to African Express, a Kenya-based commercial airline.
On Tuesday, Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, alias Farmaajo, ordered immediate investigations into the crash.
He also made a telephone call to President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya to express his regret and convey condolences for the deaths.
Reports indicate that a high-level technical team was sent by the Somali Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to the crash site to investigate the cause of the incident.
Amid reports that the plane may have been shot down, Somalia has also extended an invitation to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) to investigate the crash.
Transportation Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Salad told the media that six people were killed in the incident, with five bodies recovered so far.
Professor Abdurahman Adan Ibbi, a Somali parliamentarian and shareholder of African Express, alleged that the plane was hit by a missile.
He stated that they do not have all the facts and are waiting for the State to investigate the matter.
