46 killed as military plane crashes in Sudan

Fourty-six people were killed as a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential area on Tuesday night near the Wadi Seidna air base, news agency AFP reported.

The base is one of the army’s largest military hubs in Omdurman, northwest of the capital Khartoum.

Local media sources cited by AP said the aircraft was headed to Red Sea city of Port Sudan, the headquarters of the military-backed government. The military has not confirmed or denied reports that the aircraft was carrying high-ranking military officers.

“After a final tally, the number of martyrs reached 46, with 10 injured,” the Khartoum regional government’s media office said in a statement.

The army-aligned health ministry said that emergency rescue personnel rushed injured civilians, including children, to a nearby hospital.

Seeking anonymity, a military source said that a technical malfunction may have caused the military transport aircraft to crash.

Residents described hearing a loud explosion and saw a thick smoke after the accident and several homes were seen damaged. The crash also led to power outages in the neighbourhood.