Nineteen Dead After a Precision Air Flight From Tanzania Crashed Into Lake Victoria
Nineteen dead after a Precision Air flight from Tanzania crashed into Lake Victoria. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that officials think all of the bodies from the plane have been found.
Author:Rhyley CarneyReviewer:Paula M. GrahamNov 08, 20228K Shares129.3K Views
Nineteen dead after a Precision Air flight from Tanzania crashed into Lake Victoria.Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that officials think all of the bodies from the plane have been found.
According to Majaliwa,
“„We’re starting to pull out the luggage and personal items from the aircraft. A team of doctors and security agencies have started the process of identifying the dead and notifying the families.- Prime Minister Of Tanzania, Kassim Majaliwa
In a statement released Sunday evening, the airline confirmed the number of people who had died and said that the number of people still alive had been changed to 24. Earlier, the carrier and local officials said that 26 of the 43 people on board had been saved.
“Precision Air extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the passenger and crew involved in this tragic incident. The company will strive to provide them with information and whatever assistance they will require in their difficult time,” the airline said.
“The names of passengers and crew on board the aircraft will not be released until all next-of-kin have been notified,” it added.
The plane took off from Tanzania's business capital, Dar es Salaam, and was going to the town of Bukoba when it crashed into Lake Victoria as it was getting ready to land. There were 39 passengers and four crew members on board.
People on the shores of Lake Victoria took a video that is being shared on social media. It shows the plane submerged in the water and rescue workers in nearby boats trying to help.
When talking to reporters in Dar es Salaam on Sunday, Precision Air CEO Patrick Mwanri looked very upset.
Mwanri's voice broke, and he had to stop to wipe away tears as he said that the plane had left around 6 a.m. local time and was supposed to arrive at 8:30 a.m. in the town of Bukoba on a lake in the northwest of the country.
At least 19 dead as Tanzania plane crashes into lake
In a televised statement, “But at 8.53 a.m. our Operations Control Center got a report that that aircraft had not arrived,” he said in a televised statement. It is thought that the accident happened on the final approach to the airport, where the runway starts right next to Lake Victoria, which is the largest freshwater lake in Africa.
Local officials said there had been heavy rain and strong winds in the area at the time of the accident, which led them to think that bad weather may have played a role.
Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa said on Monday at a funeral for the crash victims in Bukoba,
“„Preliminary reports showed the weather conditions at 8 a.m. yesterday morning was good. However, at 8:25 a.m. there was a sudden change of weather conditions - at the time, the Precision Airline pilot was on the final descent towards Bukoba airport, there were heavy rains and strong winds i.e. down drafts.- Transport Minister Makame Mbarawa
The airline has set up a Crisis Management Center and information centers in Bukoba and Dar es Salaam so that families of passengers can get in touch with them.
The president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, asked for calm while rescue workers worked at the crash site.
“„I have received with sadness the information of the crash of the Precision Air flight at Lake Victoria, in the Kagera region. I send my condolences to all those affected by this incident. Let’s continue to be calm as the rescue operation continues and we pray to God to help us.- A tweet by the president of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan
Conclusion
During the funeral service in Bukoba on Monday, Prime Minister Majaliwa tried to reassure the public about how safe it is to fly in his country.
“I want to ensure to everyone that [our] air transport is the safest,” he said on Monday in Bukoba, Tanzania. “Yesterday is a tragic accident that we believe will never happen again.”
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Rhyley Carney
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Paula M. Graham
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