BREAKING: 10 die as commercial plane crashlands

No fewer than 10 persons have been confirmed dead after a commercial plane crashed at an airstrip in South Sudan’s Jonglei state.

It was gathered that the plane crashed on Tuesday afternoon shortly after taking off from the airstrip at Pieri on a return flight to Juba.

According to the airline the specific death toll could not be given, saying up to 24 people could have been on the flight.

“It is not clear how many people were on board the flight.

“But the first information communicated to us was that there were 11 people on board,” the airline director, Ayii Duang Ayii told AFP.

“We are still working to send a team… to establish for us the facts. All on board died,” he said.

“The plane left to Pieri well, landed well and when it was taking off back to Juba that was when it crashed.”

Reacting, the region’s governor, Denay Jock Chagor, expressed shock over the incident.

“It was with great shock and horror to receive the news of the plane crash (HK-4274) of South Sudan Supreme Airline,” Governor Denay Jock Chagor said in a statement sent to AFP Wednesday.

“Ten people including the two pilots lost their lives,” the governor added.