The death toll after a Precision Air plane plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania on Sunday has jumped to 19, Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa confirms.
The plane carrying dozens of passengers plunged into the lake as it approached the northwestern city of Bukoba, the fire and rescue service said.
“All Tanzanians are with you in mourning the 19 people who lost lives during this accident,” Majaliwa told a crowd after arriving at Bukoba airport, where the flight had been scheduled to land from financial capital Dar es Salaam.
There is a discrepancy of two more people from the earlier communicated number of 43 on board.
Rescuers have pulled 26 survivors to safety after the Precision Air plane crashed due to bad weather, with 39 passengers, aboard flight PW 494 from the financial capital Dar es Salaam to the lakeside city, according to regional authorities.
Precision Air, a publicly-listed company which is Tanzania’s largest private airline, said it had dispatched rescuers to the scene.
“An investigation team consisting of Precision Air technical staff and TAA (Tanzania Airports Authority) has also departed to join the rescue team on the ground,” the airline said in a statement.
“Precision Air sincerely understands the anxiety for confirmed information and will therefore do its best to issue more details,” the company said.
“The next update will be issued as soon as we receive more information from the accident scene.”
It said the aircraft was an ATR 42-500, manufactured by Toulouse-based Franco-Italian firm ATR.
Video footage broadcast on local media showed the plane largely submerged as rescuers, including fishermen, waded through water to bring people to safety.
Do you have a story you would like us to highlight?
Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com.
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL
