By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Five passengers died after a South African Police Service (SAPS) fixed-wing aircraft crashed shortly after take-off at the Rand Airport in Germiston, Gauteng, on Tuesday afternoon.
The crash took place around 2pm, according to Netcare 911.
Six people – including the pilot – were on board when a SAPS PC-6 Turbo Porter aircraft crashed shortly after taking off the runway at the airport.
National South African Police Service spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said: “The South African Police Service can sadly confirm that one of its fixed wing aircrafts has crashed at the Rand Airport in Gauteng at half past two this afternoon. On board were five passengers and the pilot. All five passengers have sadly lost their lives and the pilot has been critically injured and has been taken to a nearby hospital for further medical care. Authorities are on scene to establish the cause of the accident.”
Police say the details of the five people who died when one of their aircrafts crashed at the airport would be released once their next of kin have been informed.
Mathe added: “On board were five passengers and the pilot. All five passengers have sadly lost their lives and the pilot has been critically injured and has been taken to a nearby hospital for further medical care.”
Officials from South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) and the police were present at the scene, and will conduct investigations into the crash.