A plane carrying presidential staff and a number of soldiers crashed in Congo forest on Thursday, details have emerged, almost 24 hours later.
In a closely guarded accident whose details remain scanty, comes at the time when DR Congo is slowly transitioning from the leadership of Joseph Kabila, who left office early this year.
The plane, carrying President Felix Tshisekedi's driver, a logistics manager and some soldiers, was headed for the capital Kinshasa and went off radar on Thursday afternoon, an hour after departing, a statement from the civil aviation authority said.
It crashed in a forest in Maniema and broke up upon landing, sources told Reuters on Friday afternoon, several hours later.
"There are no survivors. The bodies were all burnt to ashes," said advisor Vidiye Tshimanga.
Local media showed a crowd of hundreds of Tshisekedi supporters hitting the streets of Kinshasa after the news broke on Friday morning, fearing that the plane crash had been some kind of failed coup attempt against Tshisekedi.
President Tshisekedi, a son to the former opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, won the presidential elections in Kabila succession after beating close challenger Martin Fayulu.
During the inauguration, only President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga attended, signifying Kenya's affirmation to the polls.
"We want to build a strong Congo, turned toward development in peace and security - a Congo for all in which everyone has a place."
Since then, Tshisekedi has visited Kenya thrice, meeting Mr Odinga, a close friend to his father. The elderly Tshisekedi died in 2017 but was buried this year.
While the assassination claims could not be established, the country is synonymous with such plots. Kabila's father, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated in 2001.