43 people missing as plane plunges into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

Attempts are being made to save all on board after a plane carrying 43 passengers crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania early on Sunday as a result of terrible weather just before it was scheduled to land in the northwest city of Bukoba, according to authorities.

Local fisherman and rescue personnel are on the scene looking for survivors.

Pictures from the scene show only the brown and green tail fin visible above the water, and the plane is surrounded by fishing boats and rescue personnel.

“There was an accident involving a Precision Air plane which… crashed into water about 100 metres from the airport,” regional police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters at Bukoba airport.

The flight from the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam to the lakeside city in the Kagera district carried 43 individuals, including 39 passengers, two pilots, and two cabin crew, according to regional commissioner Albert Chalamila.

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“As we speak, we have managed to rescue 26 people who were taken to our referral hospital.

“The rescue operation is still ongoing and we are communicating with the pilots,” Chalamila said.

Precision Air, which is Tanzania’s largest private airline, released a brief statement confirming the accident.

“The rescue team has been dispatched to the scene and more information will be released in 2 hours’ time,” the airline said.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has expressed her condolences to those affected and called for calm as the rescue operation continues.

“Let’s continue to be calm while the rescue operation continues as we pray to God to help us,” she said on Twitter.

The incident happened five years after a safari company’s jet crashed in northern Tanzania, killing 11 people.

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