Plane crashes in eastern DR Congo with about 17 passengers on board

A passenger plane with about 17 passengers on board crashed on Sunday in the city of Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing several people, the provincial governor's office said.

The plane, operated by the local company Busy Bee, crashed during take-off for a flight to the city of Beni, North Kivu governor Carly Nzanzu Kasivita's office said in a statement. The number of fatalities was not yet clear.

Busy Bee was not available for comment.

Air accidents are relatively frequent in Congo because of lax safety standards and poor maintenance. All Congolese commercial carriers, including Busy Bee, are banned from operating in the European Union.

A cargo plane departing from the same airport crashed an hour after take-off in October, killing all eight passengers.