A thirteen-month-old baby and a man were the only survivors of a cargo plane that crashed soon after taking off from a South Sudan airport, killing 37 people, a witness and relatives said Thursday.
Stephen Warikozi, who heads South Sudan’s Civil Aviation Authority, said the plane was not authorized to carry passengers. Achol Deng, a presenter for the South Sudanese State television who was among the first on the scene of the wreckage, said she found the surviving infant near the wreckage lying on the chest of an unconscious man also injured in the crash. Deng said she and others helped bring the baby to a hospital for care.
After he regained consciousness the man, who suffered severe injuries to his head, arms, and legs, said he used his body to shield the infant during the crash, according to Deng. The infant, named Nyalou, survived with a broken leg and a wound to her forehead. Her mother and older sister perished, according to the father, Thong Deng, who flew to Juba from his home in Paloich after hearing of the incident.
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