46 Killed After Military Aircraft Crashes Into Residential Area In Sudan; Houses Damaged, Many Injured

London: In one of the most horrific crashes in recent times, a Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential area near the Wadi Seidna air base, claiming 46 lives.

Wadi Seidna air base is one of Sudan’s largest military hubs, located in Omdurman, northwest of the country’s capital Khartoum.

The aircraft was headed to the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, headquarters of the military-backed government, AP reported citing local media sources.

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

It was not specified if any high-ranking military officer or personnel was on board the aircraft when it crashed on Tuesday night.

Emergency rescue personnel rushed dozens of injured civilians, including children, to a nearby hospital, the Health ministry said.

Technical malfunction may have resulted in the crash.

Several houses were seen damaged, and there were power outages in the neighbourhood as well.

Residents said they heard a loud explosion and saw a thick smoke after the crash.

Sudan is in the midst of a civil war between the military and a paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Tensions between the two groups led to a full-blown war in 2023.