DRC military plane crashes into homes killing at least 14, including army's auditor general

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

A Congolese military L-410 aircraft came down in flames on a residential plot in Kenge, Kwango province, on Friday after a technical fault left the pilot no choice but to attempt an emergency landing with no airstrip within reach. Everyone on board perished; AP News put the death toll at 14, with 12 bodies burned beyond recognition and the pilot found outside the wreckage. Among those killed was General Likulia Bakumi, who served as the army's auditor general, along with a major, a captain and a number of civilian passengers.

Vice governor Remy Saki Bokinda said the plane had orbited Kenge several times in search of a landing site before coming down in the Manzawu neighbourhood.

Despite crashing into a densely populated area, the disaster claimed no casualties on the ground.

Authorities want to know what happened to military weapons reported to have been on board, while DRC's aviation accident body has opened a formal investigation into the crash.