A tragic aircraft crash claimed the lives of five people on Saturday afternoon, approximately 24 kilometres southwest of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, the Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has confirmed.
The ill-fated plane, a DHC-5D Buffalo with registration 5Y-RBA, was operated by Trident Aviation Ltd, a Kenyan company. It was en route from Dhobley Airport (HCDB) in southern Somalia to Aden Abdulle International Airport (HCMM) in Mogadishu when it went down around 5:43 PM local time.
According to preliminary reports, all five individuals on board perished in the crash. Emergency response teams, local government agencies, and other partners swiftly mobilized to the crash site to conduct search and rescue operations and initiate investigations into the cause of the accident.
The DHC-5 Buffalo is a versatile aircraft commonly used for transport and humanitarian missions in rugged environments, thanks to its ability to operate on short runways. Its deployment in Somalia often supports humanitarian aid efforts across remote regions.
Aden Abdulle International Airport, Somalia’s busiest, plays a critical role in humanitarian and diplomatic missions across the Horn of Africa. Dhobley Airport, near the Kenyan border, frequently facilitates international aid flights.
Authorities are expected to release further details as investigations progress.
