A plane crashed on Lake Victoria in Tanzania on Sunday morning. According to initial information, there are at least 19 fatalities. The exact cause of the crash is still unclear.
Rescuers try to get the crashed plane out of the lake.
(dpa) At least 19 people died when a passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria on Sunday morning. This was announced by Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa in the afternoon. According to the Tanzanian aviation authority TCAA, the plane of the Tanzanian airline Precision Airline was on the landing approach to the city of Bukoba on Lake Victoria at the time of the accident.
Heavy rain and dense fog interfered with the plane’s landing, according to rescue workers at the scene. However, a detailed investigation into the reason for the crash is still pending. At least 26 of the 43 people on board were injured in the crash and taken to a nearby hospital. The rescue operation continued on Sunday afternoon.
Lake Victoria is the third largest inland body of water in the world after the Caspian Sea and Lake Superior in North America. Lake Victoria is located in the three country corners of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The area of the lake roughly corresponds to that of Bavaria. Precision Airline specializes in tourist flights within Tanzania. Among other destinations, the airline flies to Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti – popular destinations for international tourists.
