A small aircraft crashed on Wednesday morning in South Sudan's Unity State, killing 20 people, with rescue work and investigation underway.
The aircraft, heading for the South Sudanese capital Juba, crashed shortly after taking off near an oil field. It was chartered by the Greater Pioneer Operating Company and operated by Light Air Services Aviation Company.
A total of 21 people were on board. Among the 20 killed were South Sudanese, two Chinese nationals and one Indian.
The lone survivor, whose nationality has yet to be determined, is in critical condition, Unity State Minister of Information and Communication Gatwech Bipal said.
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has ordered an investigation into the crash, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.
Plane crash in South Sudan kills 20, rescue efforts underway
Plane crash in South Sudan kills 20, rescue efforts underway
Plane crash in South Sudan kills 20, rescue efforts underway
Plane crash in South Sudan kills 20, rescue efforts underway
High-level officials from China, Myanmar and Thailand have recently engaged in multiple discussions for establishing a joint mechanism to combat cross-border telecom fraud.
Police authorities in the three countries have all intensified their operations to combat telecom fraud in the Myawaddy region. Thailand has implemented measures such as cutting off power, internet, and fuel supplies to Myawaddy, while also increasing patrols along the Thailand-Myanmar border to block the smuggling and transfer of individuals involved in fraud crimes.
Myanmar has launched an extensive crackdown on telecom fraud operations in Myawaddy, apprehending suspects and rescuing Chinese nationals trapped in the area.
The collaboration among the three countries has led to significant progress, with large numbers of telecom fraud suspects from the Myawaddy area having been arrested.
The first group of 200 Chinese citizens suspected of involvement in telecom fraud was repatriated from Myanmar to China on Thursday.
They were initially transferred to Thailand's Mae Sot near the border with Myanmar earlier that day, before being flown back to China on four chartered flights, escorted by police officers from east China's Jiangsu Province.
"Under the unified deployment of the Ministry of Public Security, Jiangsu police will mobilize a specialized team to investigate into the first batch of transferred individuals in the joint operation and take decisive legal action against any criminal activities," said Ding Jie, head of the case investigation unit under the anti-fraud and new crime team of the Jiangsu Provincial Public Security Department.
In response to the escalating telecom fraud issue in Myawaddy, the ministry has been strengthening collaboration with law enforcement agencies in Myanmar and Thailand to intensify crackdown efforts.
At the end of January, with the support of Chinese embassies in Thailand and Myanmar, the ministry dispatched task forces to both countries for multiple rounds of talks, aiming to strengthen trilateral cooperation and establish a joint mechanism to combat cross-border crimes like telecom fraud and human trafficking.
"The tripartite mechanism between China, Myanmar, and Thailand for combating telecom fraud and other cross-border crimes will operate on a regular basis. China's public security authorities will expand practical cooperation with more countries, focusing on rescuing victims, capturing key figures and funders behind telecom fraud rings, and intensifying efforts to dismantle fraud operations in Myawaddy. We are committed to cracking down on cross-border crimes such as telecom fraud to protect the legitimate rights of Chinese citizens," said Liu Ningning, an official with the criminal investigation department of the Ministry of Public Security.
China, Myanmar, Thailand joint hands in fighting against cross-border telecom fraud