At least 19 people were killed after a Precision Air airline crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania, Kagera provincial commissioner Albert Chalamila said Sunday.
Chalamila told reporters that the bodies of three people – two men and a woman – were recovered from the plane, without giving further details.
Earlier in the day, the airline said at least 26 people had been rescued and taken to a hospital for medical care, and that rescue operations were continuing.
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The Precision Air ATR 42-500 took off from Dar es Salaam and was bound for Bukoba before crashing into Lake Victoria as it approached Bukoba airport. There were 39 passengers on board and 4 crew members, CNN reported.
A video circulating on social media shows the plane submerged in the water as emergency services coordinate rescue efforts from nearby boats.
A witness told TBC that he saw the plane flying unsteadily as it approached the airport in poor visibility conditions.
Tanzania’s president took to social media to appeal for calm as rescuers worked at the site of the downed plane.
“I have received with sadness the information of the crash of the Precision Air flight in Lake Victoria, Kagera region,” President Samoa Suluhu wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
“I send my condolences to all those affected by this incident. Let us continue to remain calm as the rescue operation continues and pray to God for help.”
Precision Air is the largest private airline in Tanzania. It was founded in 1993 and operates domestic and regional flights.
Photo: Charles Mwebeya TBC
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