A small aircraft carrying sixteen passengers en route to the city of Beni crashed during takeoff in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, AFP reported, citing witnesses, Trend reports citing Sputnik.
Rescue services reported they've recovered the bodies of 18 people - 16 passengers and two crew members - from under the wreckage.
The news comes as the Central African country faces a major flood. The disaster has claimed up to 25 lives and 180,000 remain in need of humanitarian help.
The airline company Busy Bee, which owns the plane, has confirmed the incident. According to the report, the aircraft crashed into a residential area near the airport.