Fact-check: Did this plane crash in Munuki Miya Saba?

No, the incident happened in Malawi.

Writer: Beatrice Amude Paulino

A post shared on Facebook on 25 August 2023 claims that an aircraft overturned in Munuki Miya Saba, a local neighbourhood in Juba, South Sudan, but this is false. 

The post is accompanied by an image of an overturned plane in an open field with onlookers nearby. 

Screenshot of the Facebook post by Yei town celebrity gossip

211 Check Investigation:

According to a Google Reverse Image Search, the image was first published on August 22, 2023, and the incident happened in a village near Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi.

According to the Malawi Freedom Network, the Civil Aviation Department was investigating the cause of the plane crash which involved a light aircraft from EastRise Academy. 

Further, Malawi 24, an online news source, stated, “The people on the plane were an Instructor and a Student pilot.”

Screenshot from the Malawi24 news site. 

The incident was also reported here and here. 

Conclusion:

211 Check finds the claim that an aircraft crashed in Munuki Miya Saba, a local neighbourhood in Juba, South Sudan, to be false. Our investigation shows that the plane crashed in a village in Lilongwe, Malawi.

This fact check was published by 211 Check with support from Code for Africa’s PesaCheck and the African Fact-Checking Alliance.

To ensure accuracy and transparency, we at 211 Check welcome corrections from our readers. If you spot an error in this article, please request a correction using this form. Our team will review your request and make the necessary corrections immediately, if any.

Fighting misinformation and disinformation in the media is crucial to avoiding fake news. Don’t share content you’re uncertain about. False information can harm and mislead people, risking their lives—Fact-check before sharing. For more details, visit https://211check.org/ or message us on WhatsApp at +211 917 298 255. #FactsMatter.