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All Evacuate After Congo Mines Minister's Jet Burns in Kolwezi Runway Excursion

The delegation was en route to review a fatal mining bridge collapse in Lualaba.

Overview

  • An AirJet Angola Embraer ERJ-145LR registered D2-AJB, operating as a charter, left the runway during landing at Kolwezi Airport and caught fire at the rear.
  • Local authorities said all passengers and crew, including Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, evacuated safely, with no deaths reported and injury details unconfirmed.
  • The aircraft had flown from Kinshasa with a stop in Lubumbashi before the incident on runway 29, and the jet is reported to be destroyed by the fire.
  • Investigators and local officials have secured the site and begun an inquiry into factors such as weather, runway condition, aircraft status, and crew actions, with no cause determined.
  • Roughly 20 officials were on board according to the minister’s adviser, as widely shared videos documented the evacuation and subsequent blaze.