Thursday July 16, 2020
BELEDWEYNE (HOL) - A joint investigation by Somalia and Kenyan authorities into a Kenyan aircraft which crashed and caught fire in Beledweyne last week have begun on Thursday.
Transport and Aviation Minister Mohamed Omar led a team that included officials from the Kenyan embassy to kickstart the investigations.
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The crash last week is the third involving Kenyan aircraft in Somalia.
An African Express cargo plane transporting medical supplies was shot down by Ethiopian Forces in Bardale in South West May 11. Two weeks later on May 25, a second Kenyan plane was shot at in Qansa Dhere in Bay region, South West State but managed to land safely.
Authorities in Somalia said the plane might have been shot by the militant group Al-Shabaab.
Director of Civil Aviation Ahmed Hassan who was part of the team today told journalists the Ugas Khalif Airport where the Kenyan aircraft crashed would remain closed indefinitely.
“The airport will remain closed as we clear the aircraft,” Hassan said. He added the staff at the facility would also undergo training on emergency rescues.
A joint Kenyan and Somalia probe into the Berdale incident is yet to release its findings.