Nov. 6 (UPI) — At least 19 people are dead after a plane crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania early Sunday morning.
A commercial aircraft from Precision Air from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba, with a stop in the port city Mwanza, on the coast of Lake Victoria in eastern Africa. Onlookers waiting in the Bukoba Airport watched the plane coming in before plunging into the lake and being nearly completely submerged. The plane was carrying 43 people including four crewmembers.
The two pilots were able to communicate with local officials while still inside the cockpit, according to BBC. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the pilots may have since died but this has not been confirmed. He also said two of the deceased may have been residents or staff not included on the flight manifest attempting to assist rescue efforts, which is also still being determined.
Rescuers, including local fishermen, are using ropes to pull the aircraft closer to the shore of the lake, which spans more than 26,000 square miles. The crash happened at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday and is believed to have been caused by inclement weather, which has since cleared up.”I send my condolences to all those affected by this incident. Let’s continue to be calm as the rescue operation continues and we pray to God to help us,” said Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
Precision Air reported 26 people have been rescued so far, according to CNN. Police commander William Mwampaghale of the Kegara provincial police force said those who have been rescued are being transported to a nearby hospital.
“Rescue operations are underway, we have so far rescued several people and eventually we will make sure we have rescued everyone and removed the airplane out of the water,” he said.
Lake Victoria spans from northern Tanzania into neighboring Uganda and Kenya. It is the largest lake in Africa.
The plane, an ATR-42, is a passenger plane built in Blagnac, France by ATR. Precision Air is Tanzania’s largest national airline, headquartered in Das es salaam.
