“Rescue workers and local fishermen are on the scene trying to rescue those still inside the aircraft.”
A Tanzanian passenger plane has crashed into Lake Victoria as it attempted to land in the lakeside town of Bukoba, killing at least three people.
The Precision Air flight was carrying 43 people, 26 of whom have been rescued and sent to hospital, an official said.
The two pilots survived the crash but remain trapped inside the cockpit and have been speaking to local officials.
Rescue workers and local fishermen are on the scene trying to rescue those still inside the aircraft.
The plane is almost completely submerged with only the brown and green tail fin above the water, surrounded by rescue workers and fishing boats.
One end of the runway at Bukoba airport lies right next to the shore.
Top regional official Albert Chalamila said that three bodies had been recovered so far following the crash, which has been blamed on bad weather.
Emergency workers are using ropes to try and pull the ATR-42 aircraft out of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake.
“We want to see if the landing gear is stuck so that we can ask for more technical assistance to push it out of the waters,” said Mr Chalamila.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has expressed her condolences to those affected and called for calm as the rescue operation continues.
The plane was flying from Tanzania’s biggest city, Das es Salaam, to Bukoba via Mwanza.
Precision Air is Tanzania’s largest private airline and is partly owned by Kenya Airways. It was founded in 1993 and operates domestic and regional flights.
– BBC
