A plane carrying 43 people landed in Lake Victoria on Sunday while trying to reach a nearby airport in Tanzania.
According to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, at least 19 people were killed when the plane operated by Precision Air landed in the lakeside city of Bukoba. Earlier, the airline said 26 people had been rescued from the plane.
Flight PW494, departing from the commercial capital Dar-es-Salaam, “landed” in the lake as it was heading towards the lakeside city of Bukoba.
The cause was not immediately clear, but the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) said the incident took place amid storms and heavy rain.
Videos and photos circulating on social media show the plane almost completely submerged, with only the green and brown tail visible above the waters of Africa’s largest lake.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for calm as the rescue operation continued.
“I am saddened to receive news of a crash involving Precision Air aircraft,” she wrote on Twitter. “Let’s stay calm at this time as rescuers continue their rescue mission while asking God to help us.”
