Plane crashes into homes in Congo; at least 26 dead

A small passenger plane crashed shortly after takeoff Sunday in Congo's eastern city of Goma, killing 26 people, including passengers, crew and people on the ground, the government said.

The 19-seater aircraft crashed into residential homes in the Mapendo district near Goma's airport in the North Kivu province shortly after takeoff, according to the government.

Black smoke rose from the plane in the morning, whose wreckage could be seen amid destroyed homes as dozens of men tried to help with the rescue efforts.

The smoke cleared as rescue workers carried bodies in stretchers and hundreds gathered at the scene.

The Dornier 228-200 was owned by private carrier Busy Bee and was headed to Beni, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) north of Goma in the same province.

The provisional death toll jumped to 26 dead later Sunday, including 17 passengers, two crew members and seven residents in Goma, the Ministry of Transportation said after collecting information from other government ...