A video showing a plane crash was shared on social media on October 23, 2026, with claims that it was a recent incident in Bukavu, a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The footage, which has garnered significant attention, shows a plane with green and white livery that had apparently crashed. However, an investigation by Eleza Fact has revealed that the video is actually from a 2024 incident in Butembo, a different location.
The video was shared by a Facebook account named Gaston rider kanku, which has around 28,000 followers. At the time of verification, the video had over 46,000 views, 1,000 likes, 74 comments, and 170 shares. Many commenters expressed concern about the incident, asking questions about the airline and the flight's origin and destination. Some also questioned the authenticity of the video, with one user stating that it was an old image from a crash in Butembo six years prior.
Eleza Fact conducted a reverse image search using Google Lens, which led to the discovery of previous publications showing the same plane crash in Butembo on March 17, 2024. The plane involved was a Let L-410UVP, registered as 9S-GPB, belonging to Cetraca Aviation Service (CAS). The aircraft had failed to land at Rughenda airfield in Butembo while flying from Goma.
MediaCongo reported on the incident on March 18, 2024, stating that CAS had temporarily suspended its flights following the accident. The article included an image from the same footage being verified. According to the report, the plane had experienced difficulties during landing, but only two passengers were lightly injured, and no fatalities were recorded.
Further corroboration came from Louangel Visesa, a fact-checker from Eleza Fact in Butembo, who had worked on the initial report for Radio Moto. He confirmed that the incident occurred on March 17, 2024, and that he had been involved in the publication process. Additional information was found in the Aviation Safety Network database, which documented the accident and provided details about the plane and the incident.
The investigation by Eleza Fact found no credible information or reports from authorities or reliable media outlets about a plane crash in Bukavu on October 23, 2026. The video being shared was actually from a 2024 incident in Butembo, and its misidentification had caused unnecessary concern and confusion.
In conclusion, the video being shared as a recent plane crash in Bukavu was found to be misdated and mislocated. The footage actually shows a 2024 incident in Butembo, involving a Let L-410UVP plane from Cetraca Aviation Service. The incident had been widely reported at the time, and the plane had suffered significant damage, but fortunately, no fatalities were recorded.
Key points
- The video of a plane crash shared on social media was misidentified as occurring in Bukavu on October 23, 2026, when it actually shows a 2024 incident in Butembo.
