Plane Crash Leaves 19 Dead in Tanzania

Nineteen people lost their lives on Sunday morning, 6 November, when an aeroplane crashed into Victoria Lake as it attempted to land in the town of Bukoba, Tanzania.

The local fire and rescue services, aided by nearby fishermen, were able to pull many of the victims inside the plane and in the waters around it to safety. 

The Precision Air flight was carrying 43 people on board from Dar es Salaam at the time, of which there were 24 survivors. According to reports, stormy weather made landing at the lakeside airfield exceptionally difficult.

Eyewitnesses at the airport – who were either waiting for their own respective flights or picking up family members – were said to have seen the plane plunge into the lake.

“We were really shocked. People panicked and some started crying and shouting,” Abdul Nuri – who was waiting for a return flight to Dar es Salaam at the time – said to an international publication.

Prime minister Kassim Majaliwa addressed reporters at the scene of the accident, saying: “All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people who have lost their lives.”

An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.

Image Credit: Source