At least 8 killed after Tarko Airlines passenger plane crashes in Darfur

At least 8 killed after Tarko Airlines passenger plane crashes in Darfur

2010-11-12 08:31:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

KHARTOUM (BNO NEWS) -- A Tarko Airlines passenger plane carrying up to 40 people crashed in Sudan's Darfur region on Thursday, officials said, killing at least eight people and possibly more.

The Antonov 24 aircraft crashed just after 4 p.m. local time as it was landing at Zalingei Airstrip in Zalingei, a town in western Sudan. It was flying on a route from Khartoum to Zalingei, with a scheduled stopover in El Fasher.

Initial reports indicate that the majority of those on board survived the crash, although at least eight people were said to have been killed. "An early assessment placed the casualties at as many eight," said Chris Cycmanick, a spokesman for the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

Other reports, however, placed the number of casualties at as many as 15 with around a dozen others injured. Those figures could not immediately be verified.

Photos from the scene showed a burning, heavily damaged aircraft. UNAMID responded to the scene to extinguish the fire and to provide logistical and medical support.

Witnesses told local radio stations that the Tarko Airlines plane was on fire as it was landing before it broke into two.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2010-11-12