Juba, Apr 28 (V7N) — A small passenger aircraft crashed southwest of Juba, killing all 14 people on board, according to the country’s civil aviation authority, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The aircraft, a Cessna 208 Caravan operated by Citylink Aviation, was traveling from Yei to Juba International Airport on Monday (April 27) when it lost contact with air traffic control mid-flight.

Preliminary reports from the aviation authority indicate that adverse weather conditions and poor visibility may have contributed to the crash.

Joseph Lukak Charles, head of the Juba branch of the South Sudan Red Cross, said rescue teams faced significant challenges reaching the crash site due to difficult mountainous terrain. Recovery operations continued into the afternoon.

He added that identifying the victims has been difficult due to the condition of the remains.

According to officials, the plane departed at 9:15 AM local time and lost contact at approximately 9:43 AM. All 14 individuals on board, including the pilot, were killed. The victims included 12 citizens of South Sudan and two from Kenya.

Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.

END/SMA/AJ