24 survivors were rescued on Sunday as a Tanzanian passenger plane into Lake Victoria. 19 others, were confirmed dead by the airline, Precision Air in a statement issued shortly after the crash.
The 48-seater Precision Air flight PW-494 had crashed at Lake Victoria in Bukoba in an accident which had been blamed on bad weather.
Already, an investigation team consisting of Precision Air technical staff and Tanzania Airports Authority has started work to unravel more details on Tanzania’s largest privately-owned airline crash.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Sunday in Dar es Salaam, said all Tanzanians have joined the airline in mourning the 19 people who have lost their lives.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan had also expressed shock over crash.“I have received with sadness the news of the accident involving Precision Air’s plane,” she tweeted. “Let’s be calm at this moment when rescuers are continuing with the rescue mission while praying to God to help us.”
Preliminary reports revealed that “When the aircraft was about 100 metres midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water”.
News reports showed photos of the plane mostly submerged in the lake with only its green- and brown-coloured tail visible above the water line.
Bukoba Airport is on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake.
