(15 Apr 1997) English/Nat

An Angolan cargo plane crashed Monday while taking off from Brazzaville airport near a U-S armed forces base, killing one person and injuring five.

Belgian and United States troops stationed at the airport to prepare for a possible evacuation of foreign citizens from neighboring Zaire helped the survivors.

An Angolan cargo plane crashed Monday on take off from Congo's capital Brazzaville.

The plane broke up on impact and burst into flames on a rough patch of land adjacent to a runway.

The pilot was killed and another five passengers were injured in the crash.

Belgian and United States troops stationed at the airport to prepare for a possible evacuation of foreign citizens from neighboring Zaire rushed to the scene to help.

The soldiers had to battle their way through the wreckage of the plane to attend to the injured and prevent the locals from making off with any of the goods.

Four of the six people aboard the plane were taken to hospitals and two were treated at Camp St. Michael, the U-S base.

One of the injured, an Angolan national, died at Camp St. Michael.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The aircraft was still on fire and very hot. Sergeant Nance and myself were able to take three people out by hitting some of the windows with shoes that we found on the side.
Unfortunately one crew member died on the way to the hospital, but the other two we pulled out are going to survive."
SUPER CAPTION: Andrew Christian, U-S Soldier

The nationalities of the others were not known.

The plane, carrying clothing, footwear and medicines, was en route back to Luanda, the Angolan capital.

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