Kenyan Crew Member Still Missing After South Sudan Plane Crash
A cargo plane operated by Nari Air has crashed in Leer County, South Sudan, killing three crew members and leaving one body still unaccounted for.
Authorities are continuing recovery efforts after the aircraft went down on 25 November about 20 kilometres from Leer Airstrip in Unity State. The plane had departed Juba that morning, carrying food supplies for communities affected by recent flooding.
According to the South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority (SSCAA), the aircraft experienced difficulties during its approach and crashed at around 08:30 local time. Two bodies, a Ukrainian pilot and a South Sudanese engineer, were recovered from the wreckage and taken to the Leer County headquarters for formal identification.
Search teams returned to the site on Wednesday, but the remains of the third crew member, a Kenyan national whose name has not been released, have not yet been located. No further update on the operation had been issued by Thursday.
The SSCAA has sent investigators to determine the cause of the crash. Nari Air, which provides chartered cargo and passenger flights across South Sudan, has not issued a public statement.
The aircraft had been chartered by Samaritan’s Purse, a humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency relief and development assistance in South Sudan and other countries. The flight was part of its efforts to deliver food aid to flood-affected communities in Unity State.
