Sudan Plane Crash Death Toll Reaches 46

In one of Sudan’s deadliest aviation tragedies in the last 20 years, the fatal repercussions of a military plane crash in Omdurman have climbed to at least 46 casualties, including numerous women and children, as reported by officials on Wednesday.
The ill-fated Antonov aircraft met its disastrous fate on Tuesday, impacting a densely inhabited district in Omdurman and causing injuries to at least ten individuals, as per the data disseminated by the government-run Khartoum Media Office.
Initially, the health ministry had publicized a death toll count of 19.
Information from the military disclosed that the aircraft encountered the crash mishap while initiating takeoff attempts from the Wadi Sayidna air base, located north of Omdurman, which is a sister city to the capital, Khartoum.
The catastrophe resulted in significant damage to several residences within the Karrari district of Omdurman, the media office reported.
Previously, the military acknowledged the loss of both armed personnel and civilians in the aerial mishap but refrained from offering precise figures or causes.
Bodies of the deceased were reportedly relocated to the Nau hospital in Omdurman, according to the health ministry.
Among those who perished were senior military figures, notably Maj. Gen. Bahr Ahmed Bahr and Lt. Col. Awad Ayoub, along with the flight crew, as revealed by an unnamed military official.
The official also noted that the deceased comprised women and children, including five siblings.
There were suggestions from local media that the aircraft was heading toward the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the heart of the military-backed government, when it tragically crashed over the Al-Thawra neighborhood within the Karrari district.
Witnesses reported hearing loud explosions resonating from the crash site, which produced thick plumes of smoke and dust enveloping Omdurman.
Sudan is not a stranger to aircraft crashes due to its deficient aviation safety records.
A past incident in 2020 saw at least 16 fatalities when a military aircraft crashed in Darfur’s western region.
Another tragic occurrence in 2003 involved a civilian Sudan Airways plane crashing while attempting an emergency landing, resulting in 116 deaths, sparing only a single boy.
This disaster follows closely amidst a fierce cholera outbreak that has claimed the lives of 1,472 individuals across 12 provinces recently, according to health ministry reports.
The disease has affected about 56,000 people since its onset in July of the previous year.
The challenging battle against cholera has seen over 70 fatalities in two cities within White Nile province earlier this month, with more than 2,000 others succumbing to the illness in the cities of Kosti and Rabak.
This outbreak surfaced during the rainy months from July to October last year, primarily impacting eastern regions where flooding displaced millions.
These incidents pile additional distress on the nation already grappling with prolonged civil war that spiraled from growing tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces, a notorious paramilitary unit since 2023.
The relentless conflict has ravaged urban landscapes and is characterized by heinous acts violating human rights, including mass rapes and ethnically driven killings classified as war crimes, drawing concern from the United Nations and advocates globally.
In recent months, warfare has intensified with the military making significant advances against RSF positions in Khartoum and other regions.
The RSF, which dominates most of Darfur, claimed responsibility for downing a military aircraft in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province, earlier this week.