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A Tanzanian passenger plane belonging to Precision Air with 43 passengers destined for Bukoba from Dar es Salaam crash landed in Lake Victoria yesterday with 39 passengers and 4 crew members on board, leaving at least 19 people dead.

According to a statement from the carrier, which is 41 per cent owned by Kenya Airways, the pilot encountered poor weather while approaching the Bukoba Airport, with the plane crashing into Lake Victoria in Kagera area.

Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said rescue efforts were ongoing and some of the survivors were recuperating in hospital.

 “All Tanzanians are with you in mourning the 19 people who lost lives during this accident,” Majaliwa said at Bukoba airport in northern Tanzania where the plane was scheduled to land from Dar Salaam.

“Precision flight no PW494, flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba has been involved in an accident as it was approaching Bukoba Airport. The rescue Team has been dispatched to the scene and more information will be released in due course,” said a statement from the airline

Rescue operations were said to be underway with about 26 passengers pulled out alive and taken to hospital according to sources at the time of going to press with other sources giving further conflicting and unconfirmed details.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan through her official Twitter account said, “I have received with sadness news that an aircraft belonging to Precision Air has been involved in an accident in Lake Victoria in the Province of Kagera. I am sending my sincere commiserations to all affected by this mishap. Let us continue to remain patient during this period when rescue operations are going on while we pray to God to help us,” she posted in her native Swahili language.

The African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat joined Tanzanians in mourning.

Technical problems

“Our hearts and prayers go to the families of passengers on-board a plane that crashed into Lake Victoria, with our full solidarity to the Government & people of #Tanzania,” Faki said on Twitter.

Kagera Police Commander William Mwampaghe said the plane was almost entirely submerged in the lake. He further said, “When the aircraft was about 100 metres mid-air, it encountered technical problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into water. Everything now is under control, “he told the media present at the site where rumours were abuzz over failure of cockpit equipment coupled by lack of effective communication between air control in Bukoba and the cockpit crew of the aircraft.

 But an aviation official who addressed the media shortly after the crash, said it was “a drill” in compliance with local industry regulations.

The 48-seater was said to be under the stewardship of an experienced pilot, Captain Buruhani Rubaga, who has almost 20 years’ experience. The passenger aircraft ATR42-500 is said to be 12 years old.

Local fisher boats were seen milling around the capsized plane tried to help before the police joined in the rescue mission.

Reports from the Tanzania Business Insight, a financial analytics body, the passenger flight PW494 from Dar-Bukoba-Mwanza with registration number 5H-PWF reported that the crew were in communication with rescue workers on site with Kagera Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila corroborating the information. “As we speak, we have managed to rescue 26 people who were taken to the nearby referral hospital and we are still in communication with the Crew. It is important that we encouraged them that the situation was under control.”