Southern Sudan's defence minister among those killed in major plane crash

May 2, 2008 

There are conflicting reports on how many people were on board and how many died in the Bahr Gazal crash, but at least twenty people were on board. Some sources suggest nineteen fatalities and two survivors, and others say there were 26 deaths and no survivors; it should be noted that if either of these were correct then there were more than twenty on board. Lieutenant General Dominic Dim Deng, the area's defence minister, is confirmed to be dead and it is thought at least 19 military officials are now deceased. 
"The plane had been rented from a charter company and was carrying a delegation of leaders from the (former rebel) Sudan People's Liberation Movement from Wau to the capital Juba," said Luka Mariak, spokesman for the Souther Sudan president Salva Kiir. This makes the journey around 450 kilometres (290 miles), with the plane crashing in a flat region 375 kilometres (around 220 miles) from Juba. It is reported it subsequently caught fire. 
The United Nations said that the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) had dispatched a helicopter to assist the emergency response effort. The UN also said that the aircraft was a Beechcraft 1900 and that they would fly in government officials and aviation experts to conduct an investigation. The site has been cordoned off.
Southern Sudan 's defence minister among those killed in major plane crash May 2 , 2008 There are conflicting reports on how many people were on board and how many died in the Bahr Gazal crash , but at least twenty people were on board . Some sources suggest nineteen fatalities and two survivors , and others say there were 26 deaths and no survivors ; it should be noted that if either of these were correct then there were more than twenty on board . Lieutenant General Dominic Dim Deng , the area 's defence minister , is confirmed to be dead and it is thought at least 19 military officials are now deceased . " The plane had been rented from a charter company and was carrying a delegation of leaders from the ( former rebel ) Sudan People 's Liberation Movement from Wau to the capital Juba , " said Luka Mariak , spokesman for the Souther Sudan president Salva Kiir . This makes the journey around 450 kilometres ( 290 miles ) , with the plane crashing in a flat region 375 kilometres ( around 220 miles ) from Juba . It is reported it subsequently caught fire . The United Nations said that the United Nations Mission in Sudan ( UNMIS ) had dispatched a helicopter to assist the emergency response effort . The UN also said that the aircraft was a Beechcraft 1900 and that they would fly in government officials and aviation experts to conduct an investigation . The site has been cordoned off .
Southern Sudan's defence minister
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