Plane crash in South Sudan kills all 15 on board

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A small passenger plane has crashed in South Sudan killing all on board, the country's civil aviation authority (SSCAA) said.

Officials have sent a team to the crash site for investigations but initial reports suggested the aircraft may have come down "due to adverse weather conditions, particularly low visibility", the SSCAA added in a statement.

The plane crashed about 20km (12 miles) south-west of the capital, Juba, on Monday morning. It took off from Yei at 09:15 local time ( 07:15 GMT) and air traffic control lost contact about 30 minutes into the flight to the capital.

Among the 15 on board – the pilot and 14 passengers – were 13 South Sudanese and two Kenyans, the manifest says.

The plane - a Cessna 208 Caravan - was operated by CityLink Aviation Ltd.

South Sudan - the world's youngest country - has a poorly developed transport network and the aviation industry does not have a good safety record.

More than 55 planes crashed in the country, resulting in dozens of fatalities, in the decade following independence in 2011.

Accidents are sometimes due to old aircraft and weak regulatory compliance. Overloading, poor weather and pilot errors are also blamed.

In January 2025, 20 oil workers died after their aircraft, which was headed for Juba, came down three minutes after take-off near the oil fields of Unity state in the north.

The worst plane crash occurred in November 2015, when an Antonov plane crashed near Juba airport, killing 41 people.

Getty Images/BBC

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