A small aircraft carrying oil workers in South Sudan's Unity State crashed on takeoff from its oilfield airport on Wednesday, killing 20 people, the region's information minister said.

South Sudan, a nation affected by conflict, has experienced multiple air disasters in recent years. In September 2018, a small plane traveling from the capital, Juba, to Yirol crashed, resulting in at least 19 fatalities.

All 21 people on board, including a single survivor, were employees of an oil consortium that includes China National Petroleum Corporation.