Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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September 2, 2008

No Sign of Survivors in DRC Aid Plane Crash
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1DFCD70:A6F02AD83191E160C1DB6C2E0E2EA46521A4E82C900CD027&
 
United Nations confirmed crash, saying plane was spotted on mountain
about 15 kilometers northwest of town of Bukavu, near DRC's border with
Rwanda 
A humanitarian aid flight carrying 17 people has crashed in the eastern
Democratic Republic of Congo, and the U.S.-based group that operated the
plane says there appears to be no survivors. The United Nations
confirmed the crash, saying the plane was spotted Tuesday on a mountain
about 15 kilometers northwest of the town of Bukavu, near DRC's border
with Rwanda. On Monday, the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs reported the Beechcraft plane missing. Air Serv International,
which operated the plane, says it was piloted by two crew members and
carried 15 passengers. It says aerial survey by a helicopter indicates
there are "no known survivors."Air Serv carries humanitarian workers to
sites within the DRC and other countries. The 19-seat plane was on its
way from the city of Kisangani to Bukavu Monday when it lost contact
with ground control. The cause of the crash remains unknown. There was
bad weather in the area at the time.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.


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