Angola: Huambo air force plane crash kills generals

LONDON. September 15. KAZINFORM A plane crash in Angola has killed 30 people, including three army generals, a military official has said; Kazinform refers to BBC.

photo: QAZINFORM

Government official Luis Caetano, a spokesman for Huambo authorities, told the BBC the military aircraft crashed after leaving Huambo city airport.

He said six people had survived the crash, including the pilot and co-pilot.

Correspondents say the aircraft was a relatively new Embraer jet purchased by the army to transport top officials.

Wreckage split

Initial reports said that there were 36 passengers on board, but Mr Caetano told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme the number was 32.

He said the aeroplane divided when it crashed and 26 bodies - 20 men and six women - had initially been recovered from wreckage.

People in the front of the aircraft survived, but those passengers in the back died as that section caught fire, he said.

A photograph issued by state-run news agency Angop showed the plane had broken into two pieces upon impact.

A hospital official said five of the injured suffered second degree burns and one passenger was in a serious condition with third degree burns, AFP news agency said.

The plane's pilot said he did not know what had gone wrong; Kazinform cites BBC.

To leran more go to www.bbc.co.uk