2 Bangladeshi peacekeepers among 26 dead

Two Bangladeshi peacekeepers along with 24 others were killed in a plane crash at Kinshasa airport in Congo yesterday. Six on-board survived the crash.
An Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) official confirmed the incident to The Daily Star last night. It identified the deceased Bangladeshis as Major KM Ziaul Haque and Corporal Clerk Md Yunus Mian.
News agency Associated Press (AP) said the UN plane carrying staff members and peacekeepers crashed upon landing at the airport in Congo's capital. It broke into pieces and claimed 26 out of 32 passengers. The flight was travelling from Kisangani to Kinshasa.
The cause of the crash could not be known instantly. A crisis taskforce is working at the crash site.
The UN mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO, includes more than 19,000 uniformed peacekeeping troops with a task to protect civilians in the Central African nation massively troubled by violence of myriad of rebel groups and militias.
Congo has one of the worst air safety records in the world. The country's safety regulations are notoriously lax, according to AP.