Three people have died after a small airliner crashed into Lake Victoria as it arrived to land at an airport in Tanzania.
Authorities said 26 of the 43 people on board the Precision Air flight from the country’s biggest city, Dar es Salaam, were rescued and taken to hospital.
Regional authorities say at least three people have died, the Associated Press reported.
The plane was on its way to Bukoba airport when the accident occurred.
“We managed to rescue a number of people,” Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters.
“When the plane was about 100 meters (328 feet) in the air, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into water. Everything is under control,” he said. he declares.
The plane “fell into Lake Victoria this morning due to thunderstorms and heavy rain”, according to the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.
Video footage and images circulating on social media showed the plane almost completely submerged, with only its green and brown tail visible above the waterline of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake.
A child was among 39 passengers on board the flight, the airline said.
A rescue operation was launched after the crash. Photo: AP
President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her condolences to all those affected by the incident and called for calm as the rescue operation continues.
