At least 20 people were killed on Wednesday when a Beechcraft 1900D aircraft crashed approximately 10 minutes after taking off in South Sudan. The plane, registered as 5X-RHB and hired by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company (GPOC), was transporting oil workers from the Unity oilfields in Rubkona County when the accident occurred.
Local officials reported that the chartered light aircraft had 21 individuals on board, including two crew members. Unity State’s information minister, Gatwech Bipal, confirmed that 17 of the deceased were South Sudanese nationals, while two were Chinese and one was Indian. He also noted that two of the three initial survivors died while being taken to hospital, leaving only one person alive.
An eyewitness stated that the aircraft had already departed the oilfield area when it appeared to lose a wing, causing the plane to lose control before crashing.