A Sudanese military transport plane crashed into a residential area near Wadi Seidna air base on Tuesday night, killing 46 people and injuring 10 others, according to news agency AFP.

The airbase, located in Omdurman, northwest of Khartoum, is one of the army’s largest military hubs. Reports suggest the aircraft was en route to Port Sudan, the headquarters of Sudan’s military-backed government. However, the military has not confirmed or denied whether the plane was carrying high-ranking officers.

Cause of Crash Under Investigation

Authorities suspect a technical malfunction may have caused the crash, according to an anonymous military source cited by AFP. Residents described hearing a loud explosion, seeing thick smoke, and witnessing severe damage to homes. The impact also caused power outages in the area.

Emergency teams rushed injured civilians, including children, to a nearby hospital, the army-aligned health ministry confirmed.

Escalating Sudan Civil War

The tragedy comes amid ongoing conflict between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The paramilitary group, which controls much of western Darfur, claimed responsibility for downing a military aircraft in Nyala city just a day before the crash.

Sudan’s civil war, which erupted in 2023, has led to urban devastation and serious human rights violations, including mass rape and ethnically motivated killings, labeled war crimes by the United Nations. In recent months, the Sudanese army has made strategic gains against the RSF in Khartoum and other regions.