He died in a plane crash on 19 August 2012 near Talodi, South Kordofan, Sudan, which killed at least 31 other people.[1] Initial reports focused on an attack by Sudan People's Liberation Movement North as a likely cause of the crash,[2] but Sudan's information minister later stated to Radio Omdurman that bad weather had caused the plane to crash into a hill.[1] The plane was carrying a delegation to an Eid al-Fitr celebration. At least 31 other people died in the crash, including several state ministers and the chairman of the Justice Party.[3][4]