A humanitarian aid flight carrying 17 people crashed on a ridge in eastern Congo, and the US-based group that operated the route said Tuesday there appeared to be no survivors. The 21-seat Beechcraft 1900 aircraft went missing in bad weather late Monday with two crew and 15 passengers on board, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. It was located Tuesday morning, 15 kilometers northwest of the airstrip at Bukavu in eastern Congo, its intended destination, Elisabeth Byrs told journalists in Geneva. “Rescuers are on site,” she said, adding that she had no confirmation of casualties. The identity of the passengers and crew was not immediately disclosed. Air Serv International, a Warrenton, Virginia-based group, runs the twice-weekly aid delivery between Kisangani and Bukavu. “Search and rescue efforts were initiated early this morning and visual confirmation of the downed aircraft was made,” a company statement said. The location was on steep ridge, it said. Air Serv International describes itself as a not-for-profit aviation organization that supports humanitarian programs worldwide.
