A plane belonging to Compagnie Africaine d'Aviation (CAA) from Lodja en route to Kasaï crashed and disintergrated on the banks of Lake Kivu in an uninhabited area, official sources said.

According to the minister of transport, Justin Kalumba, no one died on the ground but five of the plane's passengers were found dead in the rubble and another three were seriously injured and immediately transported to the hospital in Goma.

According to CAA management, there were about 30 people on board the plane, including six members of staff. The crash is believed to have been caused by bad weather.

However, independent sources say that the crash happened in a residential area in the precinct around the Independent Electoral Commission and the General Directorate of Immigration buildings in Goma. The number of dead has not been confirmed. To get a detailed account, Kalumba had a crisis meeting with the participation of the head of aviation company concerned.

A full-scale investigation was launched on Tuesday.

This story was translated by Michael Tantoh from the original text in La Prospérité.