Two pilots escaped death narrowly when their cargo plane crashed on Wednesday while attempting to land at an airstrip in Pieri Payam, Uror County, in Jonglei State.
Reports said the two were safely evacuated and were receiving medical treatment for minor injuries and trauma.
The aircraft veered off the airstrip and crashed into a nearby residential area, igniting a fire.
Jonglei State’s Minister of Information Nyamar Lony confirmed the incident to Radio Tamazuj while on an official mission with the governor.
“I was informed of the crash while on a mission with the governor,” Lony said.
“The cargo plane belonged to an NGO. We are awaiting further details from the ongoing investigation.”
Photos shared online depict the plane engulfed in flames. Despite the severity of the crash, there were no reported fatalities.
Local residents’ quick actions helped ensure their safety from the burning plane.
The Director of the Juba International Airport, Kur Kuol, also confirmed the crash and provided additional details.
“The plane departed from Juba, flew to Bor, and then proceeded to Pieri, where it crash-landed,” Kuol said.
“Fortunately, only minor injuries were reported, and there were two people on the plane.”
Authorities were investigating the circumstances of the crash.
South Sudan has witnessed several plane crashes in recent years.
In March 2024, a military cargo plane carrying mixed goods to Yida in Ruweng Administrative Area crashed at Yida Airstrip.
In February 2024, a passenger aircraft operated by Africano Company which was involved in transporting returnees who fled the war in Sudan, crash-landed at Malakal Airport. No one was reportedly hurt in the accident.
In April 2023, a cargo plane carrying passengers crash-landed at Juba International Airport. All the passengers came out unscathed.
On 2 March 2021, a Let L-410 Turbolet of South Sudan Supreme Airlines crashed in Pieri, Uror County on a domestic flight to Yuai Airstrip, South Sudan.
In August 2020, eight people lost their lives, while a single passenger survived with injuries when a cargo plane crashed into a farm in the Kemeru area minutes after it took off from the Juba International Airport. South Sudan lacks proper road connectivity, forcing people to rely on air transport.
NOTICE OF CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story stated that a cargo plane operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) crashed in Uror. After further investigations, we confirmed that the aircraft was neither owned nor operated by the ICRC.