Ukraine, Congo Foreign Ministers Concerned over Ukrainian Air Crash

In a telephone conversation on Monday, foreign ministers Anatoli Zlenko of Ukraine and Leonard Cheik Okitundu of the Democratic Republic of Congo discussed the situation surrounding the Ukrainian Il-76 jet plane, a RIA Novosti correspondent quotes the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry as saying.

The Ukrainian foreign minister was informed that the Congo has set up a governmental commission to study the circumstances of the depressurisation of the Ukrainian passenger and freight aircraft.

The incident is still being looked into and the publication of details would be premature, said the Congolese foreign minister.

After the commission is through with its work, the facts will be reported to Kiev, he assured.

The Ukrainian embassy to Nigeria will be in contact with the commission members: Ukraine has no embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On May 8, at the 41st second after the takeoff at the airport of the Congolese capital Kinshasa, the freight hatch of the Il-76 plane, owned by the Ukrainian Air Transportation Company, opened. The crew landed the aircraft at once. 129 passengers were on its board.