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ITAR-TASS, Russia
August 20, 2012 Monday 06:43 PM GMT+4
Russian national piloted plane that crashed in Sudan - embassy
CAIRO August 20
The plane that crashed in Sudan on Sunday was piloted by a Russian
national, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Khartoum Yuri
Vidakas told Tass on Monday.
"Russian pilot Gennady Semyonov was commander of the aircraft," the
diplomat said. He said the pilot had been working in Sudan on a
private contract at Alpha-1 Company. Besides, there was an Armenian
and a Tajik national on board the plane. "Unfortunately, all people on
board were killed," Vidakas said.
According to the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority, the passenger
plane crashed early on Sunday as it was approaching to land in Talodi,
a town in the border state of South Kordofan, 650 kilometers southwest
of capital Khartoum.
Early reports say the plane crashed because of bad weather conditions,
as there was dense fog in the area. The airliner crashed into the
mountain and exploded. There were 31 people on board, including
Sudan's Guidance and Endowments (religious affairs) Minister Ghazi
al-Sadeq, Mahjoub Abdel Raheem Toutou, state minister for youth and
sports, and Eissa Daifallah, state minister for tourism, antiquities
and wildlife, Maki Ali Balayli, chairman of Sudan's Peace and Justice
Party, officials from political and law enforcement circles of the
party, as well as a production team from Sudanese television.
The plane was taking a delegation to Talodi to celebrate the Eid
al-Fitr festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,
state news agency SUNA said.
August 20, 2012 Monday 06:43 PM GMT+4
Russian national piloted plane that crashed in Sudan - embassy
CAIRO August 20
The plane that crashed in Sudan on Sunday was piloted by a Russian
national, First Secretary of the Russian Embassy in Khartoum Yuri
Vidakas told Tass on Monday.
"Russian pilot Gennady Semyonov was commander of the aircraft," the
diplomat said. He said the pilot had been working in Sudan on a
private contract at Alpha-1 Company. Besides, there was an Armenian
and a Tajik national on board the plane. "Unfortunately, all people on
board were killed," Vidakas said.
According to the Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority, the passenger
plane crashed early on Sunday as it was approaching to land in Talodi,
a town in the border state of South Kordofan, 650 kilometers southwest
of capital Khartoum.
Early reports say the plane crashed because of bad weather conditions,
as there was dense fog in the area. The airliner crashed into the
mountain and exploded. There were 31 people on board, including
Sudan's Guidance and Endowments (religious affairs) Minister Ghazi
al-Sadeq, Mahjoub Abdel Raheem Toutou, state minister for youth and
sports, and Eissa Daifallah, state minister for tourism, antiquities
and wildlife, Maki Ali Balayli, chairman of Sudan's Peace and Justice
Party, officials from political and law enforcement circles of the
party, as well as a production team from Sudanese television.
The plane was taking a delegation to Talodi to celebrate the Eid
al-Fitr festival marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan,
state news agency SUNA said.