Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Mines Minister, Louis Watum Kabamba, and his entire delegation narrowly escaped death on Monday morning after their chartered aircraft overshot the runway and burst into flames.
The accident occurred around 11 a.m. at Kolwezi Airport in the southern part of the country. The Embraer flight, operated by Airjet Angola, failed to decelerate upon landing, skidding off Runway 29 on its belly before the tail section ignited in a massive fireball.
Footage from the scene captured a harrowing escape as passengers scrambled to exit the burning wreckage. While some utilized the front steps, others were forced to leap from center exits onto the wings to avoid the rapidly spreading fire.
Despite the aircraft being completely decimated by the flames, officials confirmed that no deaths or major injuries were reported among the delegation. Investigations into the cause of the failed landing are currently underway.
Minister Kabamba was traveling to the region to address a separate tragedy that occurred over the weekend at the Kalondo Mine. On Saturday, a bridge near a mine shaft collapsed following heavy rains and a stampede, resulting in the deaths of over 30 copper mine workers.
Local reports and human rights groups have alleged that the panic leading to the collapse was triggered by gunfire from military personnel at the site, sparking calls for an independent investigation into the loss of life.
