KINSHASA, Congo -- As many as 140 soldiers, wives and their children were sucked out of a Russian-made cargo plane when the aircraft's rear door flew open during a flight over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Details of what happened are still unclear. The government said seven people flew from the IL-76, but wire services are reporting a much higher death toll.
Daniel Wangisha, a Reuters cameraman, told CNN that one of the surviving passengers reported that as many as 140 passengers were missing. Immigration officials at the airport told him later Friday that as many as 400 people boarded the plane Thursday night.
Two officials at the airport in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, separately told The Associated Press that at least 129 people were feared dead. Survivors described being battered by swirling baggage and cargo as the cabin lost pressure.
The plane was carrying members of President Joseph Kabila's special guard and their wives and children, Wangisha told CNN.
The privately-owned Il-76 had apparently been chartered to fly Congolese police force members and their families from Kinshasa to the southeastern city of Lubumbashi -- Congo's second-biggest and home to a large military base.
It was not known how many people were on the plane or whether they had seats or seatbelts, the AP reported. People in Africa often travel on modified cargo planes that have few seats, leaving most passengers to cram in among their belongings in the rear of the aircraft.
Congolese Communications Minister Kikaya Binkarubi told CNN that only seven people had been sucked out of the plane, which later landed back in Kinshasa.
"In the middle of the flight, the back door of the Ilyushin 76 burst open, sucking out as many as seven people," he said. "It was only seven people. That's the account that the air force is telling us at this time."
Other passengers ran to the front of the plane after the ramp flew open, Binkarubi said.
The aircraft reportedly was at 8,000 feet when the accident occurred about 8 p.m. Thursday [3 p.m. Thursday EDT], officials told CNN.
According to AP reports, though, Binkarubi said the plane lost its door at 33,000 feet, about 45 minutes after takeoff.
It was not immediately known why the door came open. The weather was clear and there was no suggestion of sabotage, Associated Press reported.
Wangisha said 20 injured passengers had been taken to a hospital in Kinshasa.
He quoted witnesses as saying the plane was carrying about 160 people, and he said except for the hospitalized passengers, all the others are missing and feared dead.
"There were about 200 people on board, soldiers and their families, women and children," Prudent Mukalayi, one of the survivors taken to a hospital, told Reuters.
"I was asleep, and then I heard people screaming. When I woke up, the pilot told everyone to get to the front of the plane, and there were about 40 of us, but people kept dying. There were only about 20 survivors."
The government is investigating the accident, Binkarubi, the communication minister, told CNN.
The four-engined Il-76 is widely used in Africa, the Middle East, India and China. The aircraft remains in service after several decades in service because of the shortage of cargo aircraft worldwide.
Ilyushin 76 is the same model that crashed in the mountains of Iran in February, killing almost 300 people, including members of Iran's military.
Details of what happened are still unclear. The government said seven people flew from the IL-76, but wire services are reporting a much higher death toll.
Daniel Wangisha, a Reuters cameraman, told CNN that one of the surviving passengers reported that as many as 140 passengers were missing. Immigration officials at the airport told him later Friday that as many as 400 people boarded the plane Thursday night.
Two officials at the airport in Congo's capital, Kinshasa, separately told The Associated Press that at least 129 people were feared dead. Survivors described being battered by swirling baggage and cargo as the cabin lost pressure.
The plane was carrying members of President Joseph Kabila's special guard and their wives and children, Wangisha told CNN.
The privately-owned Il-76 had apparently been chartered to fly Congolese police force members and their families from Kinshasa to the southeastern city of Lubumbashi -- Congo's second-biggest and home to a large military base.
It was not known how many people were on the plane or whether they had seats or seatbelts, the AP reported. People in Africa often travel on modified cargo planes that have few seats, leaving most passengers to cram in among their belongings in the rear of the aircraft.
Congolese Communications Minister Kikaya Binkarubi told CNN that only seven people had been sucked out of the plane, which later landed back in Kinshasa.
"In the middle of the flight, the back door of the Ilyushin 76 burst open, sucking out as many as seven people," he said. "It was only seven people. That's the account that the air force is telling us at this time."
Other passengers ran to the front of the plane after the ramp flew open, Binkarubi said.
The aircraft reportedly was at 8,000 feet when the accident occurred about 8 p.m. Thursday [3 p.m. Thursday EDT], officials told CNN.
According to AP reports, though, Binkarubi said the plane lost its door at 33,000 feet, about 45 minutes after takeoff.
It was not immediately known why the door came open. The weather was clear and there was no suggestion of sabotage, Associated Press reported.
Wangisha said 20 injured passengers had been taken to a hospital in Kinshasa.
He quoted witnesses as saying the plane was carrying about 160 people, and he said except for the hospitalized passengers, all the others are missing and feared dead.
"There were about 200 people on board, soldiers and their families, women and children," Prudent Mukalayi, one of the survivors taken to a hospital, told Reuters.
"I was asleep, and then I heard people screaming. When I woke up, the pilot told everyone to get to the front of the plane, and there were about 40 of us, but people kept dying. There were only about 20 survivors."
The government is investigating the accident, Binkarubi, the communication minister, told CNN.
The four-engined Il-76 is widely used in Africa, the Middle East, India and China. The aircraft remains in service after several decades in service because of the shortage of cargo aircraft worldwide.
Ilyushin 76 is the same model that crashed in the mountains of Iran in February, killing almost 300 people, including members of Iran's military.
Cant see anyone making it at 33,000 feet, even if the old bus could fly that high.
8,000 ft sounds more plausible.
If people died en-route, then the craft stayed too high too long 20,000 plus, in the death zone.
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Apparently they can do up to 39,000 ft.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3013911.stm
http://www.zap16.com/civ%20fact/civ%20ilyushin%2076.htm
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400 people in a plane 1/3 the size of a jumbo...
[This message was edited by eek on May 09, 2003 at 07:57 PM.]
8,000 ft sounds more plausible.
If people died en-route, then the craft stayed too high too long 20,000 plus, in the death zone.
===========================================
Apparently they can do up to 39,000 ft.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3013911.stm
http://www.zap16.com/civ%20fact/civ%20ilyushin%2076.htm
==============================================
400 people in a plane 1/3 the size of a jumbo...
[This message was edited by eek on May 09, 2003 at 07:57 PM.]
