United Nations Radio

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed deep sadness at the news of a plane crash in the area of Bukavu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In addition to the 2 crew members, the humanitarian cargo plane was carrying 15 passengers, seven of them UN staff members.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Marie Okabe, Mr. Ban noted that the UN peacekeeping mission in the country is making every effort to reach the site of the accident in order to verify the fate of the people on board.

"The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to all the United Nations staff and international aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions to support the Congolese people in their efforts to consolidate peace in their country."

Ms. Okabe said the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country is on his way to Bukavu to coordinate the rescue operation. An investigation will be made into the cause of the crash, which was apparently due to bad weather on the landing approach.

Reporting for UN Radio, I'm Bissera Kostova.

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