A small passenger aircraft skid off the runway at the airstrip in the Jonglei State capital, Bor town, on Wednesday.

Kuot John Akec, the director of Bor airport told Radio Tamazuj that the airplane was on transit to Juba from the Uror County headquarters, Yuai town when it skid off the runway while attempting to land in Bor on Wednesday afternoon.

“It is a small caravan plane carrying 14 people, including two crew members from Yuai,” Kuot said. “While landing at Bor airport, before proceeding to Juba, it skid off the runway and knocked itself on a tree.”

The airport director said investigations are ongoing into the incident.

“No one was injured but the plane sustained some damage. The plane landed well but it then slid off to the right side of the runway. I think the right wheel had a puncture. Investigations are still ongoing,” Kuot added. 

South Sudan, which has been plagued by conflict lacks a proper land transportation infrastructure, forcing people to move cargo by air.

Cases of planes crashing in the country have been on the rise recently with the latest case being reported in November 2021.

Earlier this month an Antonov SP-402 plane hired by the education ministry to transport examination papers crashed at the Agok airstrip.

A cargo plane crashed near Juba International Airport last November and left five people dead.

On 2 March 2021, a Let L-410 Turbolet of South Sudan Supreme Airlines crashed in Pieri, Uror County on a domestic flight to Yuai Airstrip, South Sudan.

In August 2020, eight people lost their lives, while a single passenger survived with injuries when a cargo plane crashed into a farm in the Kemeru area minutes after it took off from the Juba International Airport.

In 2015, 36 people were killed when a Soviet-era Antonov plane crashed just after takeoff from Juba.

In 2017, 37 people had a miraculous escape after their plane hit a fire truck on a runway in Wau before bursting into flames.

At least 19 people were killed in 2018 when a small aircraft carrying passengers from Juba to Yirol crashed.

By: Radio Tamazuj Online