On Sunday, a passenger plane in Tanzania crashed into Lake Victoria while attempting to land in blustery conditions at an airstrip in the lakeside city of Bukoba, according to the state broadcaster.
According to Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), fifteen people have been saved thus far, although it is unknown how many people were on the Precision Air flight or whether any people died.
According to TBC, the plane, which had left the nation’s capital of Dar es Salaam, “fell in Lake Victoria this morning due to storms and heavy rains.”
Only the plane’s green and brown tail was visible above the surface of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, in video footage and photos that went viral on social media.
TBC added that rescue boats had been sent out and that emergency personnel were still working to free additional trapped passengers from the aircraft.
The largest privately owned airline in Tanzania, Precision Air, identified the aircraft as flight PW 494 and said that it was “engaged in an accident as it was entering Bukoba Airport.” There were no other information in the airline’s statement.
As the rescue effort went on, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan issued a calmness plea.
She tweeted, “I have learned of the disaster involving Precision Air’s plane with sadness. Let’s maintain our composure as rescuers continue their work while asking God for assistance. (Reuters; headline omitted)
