Photo: AFP
Nineteen passengers were killed after a small plane crashed into Lake Victoria as it was approaching an airport in Tanzania Sunday (November 6) morning, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa announced via the Associated Press.
The Majaliwa confirmed that the death toll was up from three following initial reports. Local authorities had previously reported that 26 of the 43 people on board (39 passengers) on the Precision Air flight -- which departed from Dar es Salaam and was scheduled to land at Bukoba Airport -- were rescued and transported to a hospital, though it was not clear if any of the rescued victims had later died at the hospital, according to the AP.
Precision Air, which is Tanzania's largest privately owned airline company, said the flight "crash-landed" at 8:53 a.m. just as it was approaching Bukoba Airport in a statement obtained by Reuters.
Photos taken from the scene of the crash showed the plane mostly submerged in Lake Victoria.
“We have managed to save quite a number of people,” Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters via the AP, noting that rescue efforts were ongoing.
“When the aircraft was about 100 meters (328 feet) midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,” Mwampaghale added.
An infant was reported to be among the 39 passengers on the flight, according to Reuters.