On Sunday, a passenger plane in Tanzania crashed into Lake Victoria while attempting to land in stormy weather at an airport in the lakeside city of Bukoba, according to the state broadcaster.
So far, fifteen people have been rescued, but it is unknown how many passengers were on board the Precision Air flight or whether any died, according to Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC).
According to TBC, the aircraft, which had left the country’s capital of Dar es Salaam, “fell in Lake Victoria this morning due to storms and heavy rains.”
Only the plane’s green and brown tail was visible above the surface of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, in video footage and images that went viral on social media.
TBC added that rescue boats had been sent out and that emergency workers were still working to rescue other trapped passengers from the aircraft.
The largest privately owned airline in Tanzania, Precision Air, identified the plane as flight PW 494 and said that it was “involved in an accident as it was approaching Bukoba Airport.” There was no other information in the airline’s statement.
As the rescue effort went on, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called a calm call.
She wrote, “I have heard of the accident involving Precision Air’s plane with sadness. Let’s maintain our composure as rescuers continue their work while asking God for help.”
