In a devastating incident on Sunday, a passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania, claiming the lives of nineteen individuals on board. The aircraft, Flight PW494 operated by Precision Air, was reportedly attempting to land at a nearby airport amidst storms and heavy rain when it tragically hit the water.
Reports from the state Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) painted a grim picture of the scene, with rescuers rushing to the almost fully submerged wreckage to extract trapped passengers. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa expressed the nation’s sorrow, extending condolences to the families and loved ones of those who perished in the crash.
As investigations into the incident unfold, questions loom over the circumstances surrounding the crash. Reuters reported that the flight, which departed from Dar-es-Salaam, crash-landed as it approached Bukoba airport, according to Precision Air – Tanzania’s largest privately owned airline.
The passenger manifest revealed that the plane was carrying a total of 39 passengers, including an infant, as well as four crew members. Initial reports suggested that 26 individuals had been rescued from the crash site, but later revisions by emergency services indicated that 24 survivors had been accounted for.
Eyewitness accounts provided chilling details of the moments leading up to the crash, with one witness describing the plane’s unsteady flight path in poor visibility before veering off course and plummeting into the lake.
In a miraculous turn of events, both pilots survived the crash and remained in communication with rescue workers from the cockpit. However, they later reported a dwindling oxygen supply, adding to the urgency of the rescue operation.
As Tanzania grapples with this tragedy, authorities and aviation experts are committed to unraveling the factors contributing to the crash and ensuring the safety of air travel in the future.
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