By HAN News Desk
JUBA — A humanitarian cargo aircraft transporting food assistance to flood-stricken communities has crashed near the Leer airstrip in Unity State, with at least three people feared dead, according to initial local reports.
The incident occurred at around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday as the aircraft approached Leer to deliver emergency supplies to families cut off by weeks of heavy flooding. Large parts of Unity State remain submerged, leaving many communities reachable only by air.
Local authorities said the plane went down a short distance from the airstrip under circumstances that are still unclear. Witnesses in the area reported seeing smoke rising from the crash site shortly after the aircraft disappeared from sight.
Kueth Latjor, a senior local official, confirmed that an investigation team has been dispatched, although high water levels and difficult terrain are slowing efforts to reach the wreckage. “We are working to access the site, but the flooding is making movement extremely challenging,” he said. “We will provide more information as soon as the rescue teams arrive.”
Humanitarian organizations operating in the region have relied heavily on air transport in recent months, as persistent flooding has rendered roads impassable and isolated thousands of residents in Leer County and surrounding areas. Aid workers say the crash underscores the dangerous conditions faced by relief teams attempting to reach vulnerable populations.
South Sudanese authorities and humanitarian agencies are expected to issue further updates as recovery and assessment operations proceed.
