BUKOBA, TANZANIA: A passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania on Sunday while attempting to land in stormy weather at an airport in the lakeside city of Bukoba, the state broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) said.
The aircraft, which had departed from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, “fell in Lake Victoria this morning due to storms and heavy rains”, TBC reported.
According to Kagera Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila, the plane had 43 people on board with 39 as passengers and, two air hostesses, and two pilots, adding that 26 have so far been rescued and are currently at Kagera Hospital as the search for the rest intensifies.
“As we speak, we have managed to rescue 26 people who were taken to our referral hospital,” regional commissioner Albert Chalamila was quoted as saying. “The rescue operation is still ongoing and we are communicating with the pilots.”
Precision Air, Tanzania’s largest privately owned airline, identified the plane as flight PW 494 and said it was “involved in an accident as it was approaching Bukoba Airport”. The airline’s statement gave no further details.
Video footage and images that circulated on social media showed the plane almost fully submerged, with only its green and brown-coloured tail visible above the water line of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake.
Police said “bad weather” caused the crash as the plane was flying at about 100 meters (328 feet). “It was raining and the plane plunged into the water. Everything is under control,” Kagera Regional police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan sent condolences to “all those affected by the accident” and called for calm.
“I have received with sadness the news of the accident involving Precision Air’s plane,” she wrote on Twitter. “Let’s be calm at this moment when rescuers are continuing with the rescue mission while praying to God to help us.”
By press time, no fatalities had been reported or confirmed.
Bukoba Airport lies on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and Precision Air is Tanzania’s largest privately owned airline.
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