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, identified as Flight PW494 operated by Precision Air, encountered storms and heavy rain as it attempted to land at a nearby airport.
According to reports from the state Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the plane hit the water, prompting rescuers in boats to rush to the almost fully submerged wreckage in a desperate bid to save trapped passengers.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, addressing reporters in the lakeside city of Bukoba near the crash site, extended condolences on behalf of the nation, stating, “All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people who have lost their lives.”
While investigators are probing the cause of the crash, preliminary details indicate that the flight departed from the commercial capital Dar-es-Salaam and “crash-landed” at 8:53 a.m. local time as it approached Bukoba airport, according to Precision Air.
The plane was carrying a total of 39 passengers, including an infant, as well as four crew members. Initially, it was reported that 26 individuals had been rescued from the crash site, but later updates from emergency services revised the number to 24 survivors.
Eyewitness accounts described the plane’s unsteady flight path in poor visibility before veering off course and plunging into the lake. Remarkably, both pilots survived the crash and maintained communication with rescue workers from the cockpit.
As the nation mourns the lives lost in this tragic accident, investigators continue to search for answers while offering support to the survivors and families of the victims.
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