Officials have reported that the death toll from the Sudanese military plane crash in Omdurman has climbed to at least 46, including women and children. This marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in the country in the last two decades.
The Antonov plane crashed on Tuesday in a populated area of Omdurman, also leaving at least 10 people injured, according to the Khartoum Media Office. The initial report from the health ministry cited 19 deaths.
According to a military statement, the aircraft crashed during takeoff from the Wadi Sayidna air base, located north of Khartoum’s sister city, Omdurman.
The crash caused damage to homes in Omdurman’s Karrari district, the media office stated.
The military previously confirmed that both military personnel and civilians were among the deceased, but did not provide specific numbers or the cause of the crash.
The health ministry confirmed that some of the bodies were taken to the Nau hospital in Omdurman.
A military official, speaking anonymously, stated that high-ranking military officers, including Maj. Gen. Bahr Ahmed Bahr and Lt. Col. Awad Ayoub, as well as the aircraft crew, were among the dead. The official also noted that women and children, including five siblings, were among the victims.
Local news outlets reported that the plane was en route to Port Sudan, the Red Sea city serving as the seat of the military-backed government, when it crashed in the Al-Thawra neighborhood of the Karrari district. Residents reported hearing loud explosions and seeing thick smoke and dust over Omdurman.
Plane crashes are not uncommon in Sudan, which has a history of poor aviation safety. In 2020, at least 16 people died when a Russian Antonov An-12 military plane crashed in the country.
In 2003, a Sudan Airways civilian plane crashed into a hillside during an attempted emergency landing, resulting in 116 fatalities, including eight foreign nationals. Only one boy survived.
Over 1,400 died from cholera in recent months
Sudan is also grappling with a cholera outbreak, which the Health Ministry reports has caused 1,472 deaths across twelve provinces in recent months. Approximately 56,000 people have been infected since the outbreak was identified in July of the previous year.
The ministry reported that over 70 deaths occurred in two cities within the White Nile province earlier in the month. Additionally, more than 2,000 new cases were diagnosed in Kosti and Rabak.
The cholera outbreak began during the rainy season between July and October of last year. The country’s eastern regions, where millions of war-displaced individuals had sought refuge, were particularly affected by heavy rains and flooding.
The outbreak has added to the immense challenges facing the country, which has been embroiled in a devastating civil war for nearly two years.
Sudan has been in a state of civil war since 2023, when tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) escalated into open conflict.
The fighting has devastated urban areas and has been characterized by atrocities, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly in the Darfur region, according to the and international human rights organizations.
The conflict has intensified recently, with the military making gains against the RSF in Khartoum and other areas.
The RSF claimed to have shot down a military aircraft on Monday in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur province.