Tanzania was gripped by sorrow on Sunday as a passenger plane, Flight PW494 operated by Precision Air, tragically crashed into Lake Victoria while attempting to land at a nearby airport. The devastating incident, confirmed by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and the airline, resulted in the loss of nineteen lives.
According to reports from the state Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the aircraft hit the water amid fierce storms and heavy rain, prompting swift rescue efforts. Rescuers in boats raced to the scene, battling against the nearly fully submerged wreckage to extract trapped passengers.
Prime Minister Majaliwa addressed the nation from the lakeside city of Bukoba, expressing profound grief over the loss of lives. “All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people who have lost their lives,” he conveyed to reporters.
While investigations into the crash are ongoing, questions linger regarding the sequence of events leading to the tragedy. Reuters reported that the flight, departing 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 indicated that 26 individuals had been rescued from the crash site, but later updates from emergency services revised the number to 24 survivors.
Eyewitness testimonies provided chilling accounts of the plane’s unsteady approach to the airport amidst poor visibility before veering off course and plummeting into the lake.
In a remarkable turn of events, both pilots survived the crash and maintained communication with rescue workers from the cockpit. However, they later reported a dwindling oxygen supply, intensifying the urgency of the rescue operation.
As Tanzania mourns the lives lost in this tragic accident, authorities and aviation experts are committed to unraveling the circumstances surrounding the crash and ensuring the safety of air travel in the future.
