Preliminary reports show that cargo planes returned from the town of Doubry in the Juba region after delivering supplies to the African Union when crashed around 5:43pm local time on Saturday, March 22nd.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) confirmed in a statement on Sunday that the aircraft collision occurred about 24km southwest of Mogadishu.
The aircraft involved was the DHC-5D Buffalo, with serial number 109 and registered 5Y-RBA.
According to the SCAA, the aircraft was operated by Trident Aviation Ltd.
“There were five people on board (POB), and they all tragically lost their lives. The flight departed from Dhobley (HCDB) and was on its way to Aden Abdulle International Airport (HCMM),” the statement said.
The Somali Civil Aviation Authority further said the agency, along with its partners, was already on the scene for search and rescue purposes.
The first report on Saturday showed four Kenyan nationals on planes.
The freight plane reportedly experienced mechanical issues while in Dovely on Saturday, according to Somaliland standards, but reports that it has been further fixed.
The SCAA says it will provide more information about the tragedy as soon as it becomes available, while committing to conduct a thorough investigation in conjunction with the government to determine the cause of the accident.
MNA