Nando Times

By ARNAUD ZAJTMAN, Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (August 13, 2000 1:49 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com)

- A plane carrying about 20 passengers to Kinshasa crashed near the Angolan border, a Congolese aviation official said Sunday. There were no survivors.

The plane, a 20-seat Antonov 26-B, crashed Saturday afternoon about 40 miles north of the Congolese city of Tshikapa, a center for Congo's diamond industry, the official said on condition of anonymity. He said it remained unclear exactly how many people were on board the plane, which was heading from Tshikapa to Kinshasa.

The plane was registered in Congo but was owned by a variety of people, at least some of whom are Ukrainian. The plane's pilots were also Ukrainian, the official said.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.

The route from Tshikapa to Kinshasa is commonly flown by diamond traders. It was not clear Sunday if the passengers on the plane were in the diamond business.

-- Rachel Gibson (rgibson@hotmail.com), August 13, 2000