KINSHASA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- A civilian helicopter crashed Saturday near downtown Kisangani, the capital of Tshopo province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killing one person and injuring another, according to witnesses.
Sources at the Kisangani meteorological station confirmed the provisional toll.
Airport sources said emergency services had been put on alert after the crew reported distress signals during the flight. The helicopter later struck a tree and crashed near the city center.
It was not immediately clear how many people were on board. Authorities have dispatched a team to the site to investigate the cause of the accident, witnesses said.
Local officials have not yet issued any public statement on the incident. ■
