Two Kenyans Perish in Plane Crash that Claims 15 Lives in South Sudan

A light aircraft on a domestic flight in South Sudan has crashed outside the capital, Juba, killing all 14 people on board, authorities said on Monday.

The South Sudan Civil Aviation Authority said the plane went down about 20 kilometres south-west of Juba shortly after departing Yei, and investigators have been dispatched to the scene.

Preliminary information suggests the crash may have been linked to poor weather conditions, including low visibility, although officials said a full investigation is under way.

The aircraft, a Cessna 208 Caravan operated by CityLink Aviation Ltd, took off from Yei at 9:15am local time. Air traffic officials lost contact roughly 30 minutes into the flight, the authority said.

The passengers included 12 South Sudanese nationals and two Kenyans, alongside the pilot.

Officials said efforts were under way to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and to notify families of the victims.

South Sudan - the world's youngest country - has a poorly developed transport network and the aviation industry does not have a good safety record.

More than 55 planes crashed in the country, resulting in dozens of fatalities, in the decade following independence in 2011.

Accidents are sometimes due to old aircraft and weak regulatory compliance. Overloading, poor weather and pilot errors are also blamed.

In January 2025, 20 oil workers died after their aircraft, which was headed for Juba, came down three minutes after take-off near the oil fields of Unity state in the north.

The worst plane crash occurred in November 2015, when an Antonov plane crashed near Juba airport, killing 41 people.