Windhoek, Namibia – Five Israelis and their pilot have been killed in the southern African nation of Namibia after their six-seater Cessna 210 crashed into a house on take-off from Eros airport. Join our WhatsApp group
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The five dead were identified as Israeli diamond-cutters, according to the Zaka organisation, responsible for the recovery and identification of body parts.
Officials who are dealing with the incident said that the task of identifying the victims is a very difficult because the plane completely disintegrated.
Moti Ganz, president of the Israel Diamond Manufacturers Association, said that all five crash victims are members of the diamond industry. "In recent years, many diamond factories have been established in the southern section of Africa, and about 50% of Namibia diamond factories are under Israeli ownership," Ganz said.
The plane, operated by Atlantic Aviation, crashed during a stop-over in the capital Windhoek for refuelling on Friday, while on its way to the Etosha National Park in the north of the country.
Ericsson Nengola, director of aircraft accident investigations at the department of civil aviation, told AFP that according to eyewitnesses, the sound of the plane's engine did not sound right.
U/D 22:29PM
VIN News has learned that the identity of one of the crash victims is Shlomo Silberberg President of Aloni Diamonds on 47th street in New York City, and 3 of his workers.
Mr. Silberberg is very well known name in the jewelry industry in NYC.
U/D Jan 13 2008 11:00am
The other names who were confirmed to have been aboard the plane, and have officially been declared missing, are Shmuel Zigdon, Amit Cohen, Ilan Hadadi, and Avichai Abarov.
Boruch Dayan Haemes.
Yes its bomba, but bomba himself was not on the plane, only shloma
Is this Bomba from Aloni? Can anyone confirm?
Shlomo had a heart of gold I worked with him 30 years ago when he opened his office on 47th st he helped a lot of heimeshe yingerleit with parnasa by giving us diamonds worth hundreds of thousand of dollars to broker for his firm & loved giving tsdaka basieser. Should all this mitsvas be a meilits yosher for his neshuma