As pilots and aviation officials condemned lax safety standards, Zairians Tuesday mourned the victims of a fiery plane crash that devastated a downtown market, killing at least 297 people.
The cause of Monday's midday crash was not known, but preliminary reports indicated the Russian-built Antonov 32 was flying without authorization and may have been overloaded. The head of the Zairian pilots union said Tuesday that the plane was more than 35 years old.The turboprop slammed to the ground seconds after takeoff from Kinshasa's Ndolo Airport, skidded across a busy street and thundered through a crowded, open-air market.
Airport authorities said that the plane was carrying nearly 6,000 pounds of engine oil, wheat flour and salted fish. It was bound for Angola and Jonas Savimbi's UNITA rebel group there, they said.
The four Russian pilots survived, and one was hospitalized with minor injuries at Kinshasa's Njaliena Clinic. The others walked away from the crash but were in police protective custody Tuesday to shield them from angry Zairians.
The three planned to visit their colleague at the Njaliena Clinic on Monday night but were stopped by police, who feared the crowd outside would attack them. They were held overnight at a police station for their own protection but were not facing criminal charges, authorities said.
Oleg Sergeyev, chief of the Zaire division of the Russian Foreign Minister's Africa Department, said the Russian crew was "most likely to be brought to justice."
Red Cross workers told state-run media Tuesday that the death toll was 297, and at least 160 people were injured. Rescue workers continued searching the rubble for more possible victims.
The government declared two days of national mourning and grounded cargo flights indefinitely.