2023-09-27 13:03:00
the essentials A serious plane accident occurred in Mali on Saturday September 23, around which the greatest mystery is maintained. It is difficult to know the human toll of this tragedy which involves a military plane, at a time when the first images of the crash are circulating on social networks.
A military plane, an Ilyushin Il-76, crashed on Saturday September 23 while landing in Gao in northern Mali. Photos and a video of this impressive accident, where we see a major explosion occurring, leave no room for doubt, but four days after the events it remains difficult to quantify the human toll of this disaster.
“There is no question for me of commenting on military questions,” reacted a Malian army official. “We intervened, but we couldn’t do much. It’s really serious. I can’t say more,” a firefighter source also said.
A spokesperson for the German army, still present in Gao as part of the United Nations mission in Mali (Minusma), confirmed the plane accident. “According to the information we currently have (early Saturday afternoon), the plane must have overshot the landing strip,” he said, specifying that it was not a plane of the German army. The images confirm these facts. “It is a Russian-built IL-76 model aircraft,” he added.
According to several media, which remain very cautious about the reliability of their informationthe human toll could be heavy, exceeding 140 deaths.
Turbulence zone
The Gao military airport is used by the Malian army as well as by its Russian partners and Minusma. The junta in power in Mali has pushed the French anti-jihadist force out in 2022 and the UN force in 2023, to turn militarily and politically towards Russia.
This crash occurred in a context of growing tensions between the various armed actors in the area and the Malian army. Since August, the regions of Timbuktu and Gao have been the scene of a succession of attacks against army positions and against civilians. The army and armed groups are competing for control of the territory as Minusma withdraws.
1695825804
#impressive #video #crash #military #plane #landing #Mali #left #dead