A plane has crashed in northern South Sudan, killing at least 20 people, with only one confirmed survivor, the Unity State information minister said on Wednesday.
The plane crashed near oil fields in Unity State at around 10:30 a.m. local time, shortly after taking off for the capital, Juba.
“The plane crashed 500 meters from the airport,” Gatwech Bipal Both told AFP by telephone.
“There were 21 people on board. So far, only one has survived,” he said.
The survivor, a South Sudanese engineer working at an oil field, was rushed to Bentiu State Hospital, the minister said.
He said the Ukrainian passenger plane, chartered by Greater Pioneer Operating, was on a routine mission in the area.
“The state government is deeply saddened by this accident,” he added, saying an investigation would be launched.
South Sudan seceded from its northern neighbor in 2011 and has faced serious economic and political instability since then.
The young country lacks a reliable transport infrastructure, while plane crashes are common, often blamed on overloading or bad weather.
