In a tragic incident in Sudan, the death toll from a military plane crash in Omdurman has climbed to at least 46, according to officials on Wednesday. This marks one of the deadliest aviation disasters in Sudan in recent times.
The Antonov aircraft went down on Tuesday in a densely populated area of Omdurman, injuring at least 10 people as reported by the Khartoum Media Office, a government-run entity. Initially, the health ministry had confirmed 19 casualties.
The military issued a statement describing that the crash occurred during takeoff from the Wadi Sayidna air base, situated north of Omdurman, which lies adjacent to the capital city of Khartoum. As the crash unfolded, multiple homes in Omdurman’s Karrari district suffered damage.
In its statement, the military disclosed fatalities among both armed forces and civilians but did not specify any numbers or elucidate the cause of the crash. Meanwhile, the health ministry indicated that some of the deceased were taken to Nau hospital, located in Omdurman.
Local reports highlight that the ill-fated aircraft was headed to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, the base of the military-supported government, when it went down over the Al-Thawra neighborhood within Karrari. Witnesses described hearing loud blasts and seeing massive plumes of smoke and dust blanketing Omdurman.
It was reported that the plane was transporting senior military officials, yet the military has not confirmed this claim. Aircraft accidents are unfortunately not rare in Sudan, primarily due to inadequate aviation safety standards. Back in 2020, a similar tragedy involving a Russian Antonov An-12 occurred in Darfur, taking 16 lives.
A major crash also struck in 2003 when a Sudan Airways plane collided with a hillside during an emergency landing attempt, resulting in 116 casualties, including eight foreigners, with only a boy surviving.
Sudan has been entrenched in a civil conflict since 2023, ignited by escalating tensions between the national army and the notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This ongoing battle has devastated urban districts with countless atrocities reported, such as mass rapes and ethnically charged killings classed as war crimes by the United Nations and human rights organizations.
Recently, the conflict has intensified, with military forces gaining ground against the RSF in Khartoum and elsewhere. On Monday, the RSF claimed responsibility for downing a military plane in Nyala, the capital of the South Darfur province.
