A Tanzanian passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria on Sunday while attempting to land in the lakeside town of Bukoba, killing at least 19 people. The plane crashed near the shore at the end of the Bukoba airport runway.
According to Precision Air, there were 24 survivors out of the 43 people on board.
The two pilots initially survived and spoke to the officials from the cockpit, but they were dead when the rescue team reached them. However, the two flight attendants survived, reported by TBC.
Precision Air Flight PW494 crashed into the water during storms and heavy rain, according to the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC). The plane was flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba via Mwanza.
Rescuers were able to rush to the wreckage to pull out trapped passengers.
Richard Komba, a survivor of the crash, told BBC that when the plane was about to land, the weather deteriorated, forcing the pilot to reroute the aircraft.
“We were then told that we would be landing soon, but there was a lot of turbulence.” “We ended up in the lake,” Mr. Komba explained.
“Water then entered the plane, and those near the front were soaked.” I was in the back seat, and most of us in the back struggled to get out.”
He stated that one cabin crew member was having difficulty opening the aircraft’s door, but he was eventually freed.
“When we got out, there was no boat; it took a long time to get rescued.”
“All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people … who have lost their lives,” Majaliwa told reporters in the northwestern city of Bukoba, where the plane was approaching the airport before it plunged into the water.
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