JUBA, South Sudan (AP) — A cargo plane crashed Wednesday near the international airport in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, a government official said.
An Associated Press reporter near the scene said wreckage was strewn on the east side of the River Nile.
Presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny said it was a Russian-made cargo plane destined for the Paloch oil fields in Upper Nile state. The chartered Antonov crashed shortly after taking off Wednesday morning, he said.
He gave no more details.
Planes could still be seen taking off and arriving at the airport in Juba on Wednesday as many people gathered near the crash site about 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the airport.
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Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.
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