A South African military aircraft crash-landed and caught fire at the Goma airport in eastern Congo, averting a tragic incident on January 9.
No casualties were recorded after the C-130BZ military aircraft, transporting 59 passengers and eight crew members, caught fire upon crash-landing.
The acting spokesperson for the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, Mathias Gillman, confirmed the incident, stating that the military aircraft was returning from the eastern Congo city of Beni, where it was providing logistical support to the South African contingent deployed in the region.
“MONUSCO sent a rescue team that brought the fire under control and everyone was safely evacuated.”
The South African National Defence Force also confirmed the incident, disclosing that a board of inquiry will be convened to investigate the incident.