Yesterday, a plane operated by Kenyan-based airline, African Express, crashed near Bardale Town in Somalia, killing all six people on board.
Details leading to the plane’s crash that is believed to have been carrying medical equipment to Bardale Town are still scanty.
However, a local news site spoke to correspondents familiar to the case who intimated that Ethiopian troops may have accidentally shot down the plane.
“We believe the Ethiopian soldiers were at the airport and its surroundings conducting manoeuvres to prepare for night patrols.
“The airfield is about 5km away from the town, every time a plane is coming, Ethiopians have to go there to secure the airfield and sometimes removes IEDs because at nighttime no one protects the dusty airstrip,” our source stated.
It is also believed that the E120 plane, which was three minutes from landing was flying at 2,294 ft and did not report any abnormalities before the fatal incident took place.
Reports further indicated that there could have been a possibility that local aviation officials didn’t inform Ethiopians about the incoming plane.
Kenyans.co.ke cannot independently verify the information.
On Monday, Southwestern Minister for Transport Hassan Hussein Mohamed revealed that two of those who had boarded the plane were Kenyans, two were Somalis and the other two nationalities are yet to be determined.
The plane is said to have left Mogadishu, the capital town of Somalia, and was on its way to Baidoa then crossed into Bardale town before it crashed.
