RIA Novosti

15:43 07/10/2012

KHARTOUM, October 7 (RIA Novosti) – At least 13 people were killed when a Sudanese military transport plane crashed west of Omdurman near the capital Khartoum, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday, citing security sources.

“A plane, Antonov [An-12], carrying 21 military personnel, crashed in Omdurman city, east of the Sudanese capital Khartoum,” the security source told Xinhua.

Later in the day on Sunday, Sudanese army spokesman Savarmi Khaled Saad told journalists the crash, which occurred a few minutes after takeoff, was caused by the failure of at least two of the plane’s four engines,

“The pilot at first reported the failure of one engine, and then a second one, whereupon he attempted a crash landing, during which the plane crashed 40 kilometers southwest of Omdurman,” he said.

Thirteen people on board the plane died and nine survived, Savarmi said. All were military personnel.

The crash site is near the capital’s new airport now under construction.

The plane was heading from Khartoum to Al Fashir, the capital of Northern Darfur state.

Sudan has suffered 14 plane crashes since the beginning of 2010, including five just in the first nine months this year. The deadliest crash this year – near the city of Talodi in August – killed 30 high-ranking government officials.

U.S. economic sanctions first imposed on Sudan in 1997 include a ban on delivery of aircraft spare parts.