Five killed as Kenyan cargo plane crashes near Mogadishu

A Kenya-registered cargo aircraft crashed near Mogadishu on Saturday evening, killing all five crew members on board, Somali aviation authorities said.

The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said the DHC-5 aircraft, registered as 5Y-RPA, went down approximately 13 kilometers south of Mogadishu at around 5:43 p.m. local time (14:43 GMT). The plane had departed from Dhobley town in Somalia’s Lower Juba region and was en route to Aden Abdulle International Airport in Mogadishu when the crash occurred.

Aviation sources told local media that the aircraft had experienced technical issues earlier in Dhobley, but they were reportedly resolved before takeoff.

Emergency response teams were dispatched to the crash site near Ceel Xabaalbow, but all five crew members, who were said to be Kenyan nationals, did not survive, according to the SCAA.

The cargo plane had been delivering supplies to African Union forces in Dhobley before its return flight to Mogadishu, the authority added.

An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the crash, with officials expected to release further details in due course.