State governor perishes in air mishap near border with Ethiopia
At least seven people have been reported killed in a plane crash in Gadaref State in eastern Sudan.
The state news agency Suna reported that among the victims of the Sunday air mishap was the governor of Gadaref, near the border with Ethiopia.
Also said to have been aboard the ill-fated plane were the Gadaref State Agriculture minister and senior security officials.
Besides Ethiopia, Gadaref shares borders with Khartoum and Kassala states.
His entourage
Gadaref State authorities also issued a statement confirming the incident and the death of the governor, but did give more details.
The government-leaning Alshoroog TV reported that the governor and his entourage were on a security inspection trip.
"The chopper crashed while the pilot tried to land at Galabt airport," Alshorroq TV reported.
The civil aviation authorities in Khartoum declined when reached for a comment.
Jet crashed
Most of Sudan's military and civilian fleet consists of old Soviet-made aircraft, and the country has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather.
In October eight people were injured in a collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport.
Weeks earlier in September, two pilots were killed when their military jet crashed near Omdurman, Khartoum's twin city on the west bank of the Nile.
That accident came days after a military helicopter crashed and caught fire on landing in Darfur, though all passengers were rescued.