Highlights
- The plane crashed due to bad weather in Bukoba
- We have managed to save quite a number of people, said Kagera province police commander
- The crash took place when the flight was attempting to land at the Bukoba airport
Tanzania Plane Crash: At least 19 people died after a domestic passenger plane plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania early on Sunday due to bad weather shortly before it was due to land in the northwestern city of Bukoba, police said.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa gave the new death toll, up from three.
Earlier, local authorities said 26 of those on the Precision Air flight from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam were rescued and taken to a hospital.
It was not clear if any of those who were rescued died at the hospital.
Photos showed the plane, which was headed to Bukoba Airport, mostly submerged in the lake. Precision Air is a Tanzanian airline company.
“We have managed to save quite a number of people,” Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale told journalists.
“When the aircraft was about 100 meters (328 feet) midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,” he said.
Mwampaghale said the rescue efforts were continuing.
Precision Air is a Tanzanian airline company.
(With inputs from PTI)
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