Somalia Confirms Kenyan Plane Crash That Killed 5 | Five people lost their lives after a Kenyan-registered cargo plane crashed approximately 24 kilometers Southwest of Mogadishu.
According to reports, the plane, registered DHC 5D Buffalo and operated by Trident Aviation, lost contact with air traffic control moments before the crash.
Somalia’s Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has confirmed the incident saying the crash occurred around 5:43 PM on Saturday. Authorities are working to establish more details on what caused the crash.
In their statement, SCAA revealed that the ill-fated flight departed from Dhobley, a town in the Lower Jubba region, and was heading to Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu.
“The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirms a tragic aircraft crash 24km southwest of Mogadishu. The DHC-5D Buffalo (5Y-RBA), operated by Trident Aviation Ltd, crashed at 14:43Z while en route from Dhobley to Aden Adde Intl Airport. All five people on board lost their lives,” their statement read.
Unconfirmed reports from Somalia suggest four of the people who lost their lives in the crash were Kenyan nationals.
The DHC-5D Buffalo is a short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft typically used in transporting cargo, particularly in rough terrains and remote locations. Dhobley fits this description, with the area supporting the African Union’s peacekeeping mission.
Notably, the Horn of Africa has been notorious for aircraft accidents with experts blaming the phenomenon on aging aircraft, limited infrastructure, and difficult operating conditions.
Incidentally, in January 2024, another Kenyan cargo aircraft crashed in Somalia, killing two on board. The plane was transporting humanitarian supplies to the World Food Programme Agency (WFP) regional offices when it veered off the runway.
In a statement issued by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, the cargo plane crashed moments before landing at the airport.
Months later, in July 2024, a domestic flight operated by Halla Airlines from Garowe to Mogadishu crash-landed at the Aden Adde International Airport, leaving two people with injuries.
The Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia reportedly experienced a runway excursion due to wind shear, causing the landing gear to collapse.
Somalia Confirms Kenyan Plane Crash That Killed 5 | Source: Kenyans.co.ke
