A cargo plane has crashed in South Sudan shortly after take-off from Juba International Airport, killing at least 41 people.
The aircraft crashed on the banks of the River Nile around a mile from the airport, according to an official and a Reuters witness.
Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said around 20 people were aboard the plane.
The plane was travelling to the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile state
Only one crew member and a child survived.
An unknown number of people were also killed on the ground when the plane came down near a group of fishermen.
“We don’t know the number of people that were killed on the ground,” Ateny said.
He added that the aircraft was a Russian-made cargo plane bound for the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile state.
The Russian news agency Interfax, citing a source, said preliminary findings indicate the plane did not belong to any Russian airlines.
A police officer told Reuters at least 41 people died, adding that the death toll is likely to rise.
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