Sudan: 32 government officials dead in plane crash

GlobalPost

32 government officials have died in a plane crash in Sudan, including two state ministers. 

The plane was carrying the governmental delegation to attend prayers on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr in the volatile South Kordofan state, the Associated Press reported

According to state media, the politicians were on their way to "bring Eid to different regions," CNN reported

A Cabinet minister, a former presidential adviser, two generals and a TV crew are also among the dead. Ghazi al-Sadiq, the head of the ministry of guidance and endowments, and Issa Deif Allah, the state minister for the environment, were also victims, Al Jazeera reported

There were no survivors of the crash.

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The plane went down near near Talodi, a small town about 650 kilometers southwest of Khartoum, due to harsh weather conditions, according to the AP. 

There has been international speculation that the plane was sabotaged by militants from the Sudan People's Liberation Army, who are involved in an ongoing conflict with government, UPI reported

The Sudanese government did not respond to those allegations.

There have been several plane crashes in Sudan in recent years, Al Jazeera reported, and three plane crashes in Sudan have killed at least 19 people since 2008, according to UPI. 

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