Death toll from Congo plane crash raised to 38

KINSHASA, Oct 5 (Reuters) Thirty-eight people were killed in the crash of a Russian-made cargo plane in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa yesterday, the government said today as it raised the provisional death toll.

The Ministry for Humanitarian Affairs said the dead included 20 passengers and three crew who had been aboard the aircraft when it plunged onto houses in the Kingasani district shortly after taking off from nearby Ndjili international airport.

According to the plane's manifest, the three crew were Ukranian.

Fifteen more people were killed on the ground, the ministry said in a statement which added 25 people were badly injured.

It described the toll as provisional, saying a definitive casualty figure would be given later today.

Authorities had opened an investigation into the causes of the crash of the Antonov 26 twin-propeller aircraft belonging to Congolese airline Africa One. The plane had been rented out to another company, Malila Airlift, and was heading to southern Kasai Occidental province.

REUTERS JK RN1519