First modification:
A plane from the company ‘Precision Air’ crashed this Sunday in Lake Victoria in the Tanzanian territory. According to local authorities, 19 people lost their lives after the impact. The country’s prime minister, Kassim Majaliwa, assured that investigations to clarify the reasons for the collision are already underway.
It crashed into Lake Victoria, shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Flight PW494, operated by Precision Air, went down as it approached an airport in the Tanzanian city of Bukoba. An accident in which at least 19 people died as confirmed by the airline.
The country’s president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, regretted the events. “It was with sadness that I received the news of the Precision Air plane crash,” she said from her Twitter account. And she added: “Let us remain calm at this time when the rescuers continue with the rescue mission while praying to Allah to help us.”
Nimepokea kwa masikitiko taarifa ya ajali ya ndege ya Shirika la Precision katika Ziwa Victoria, mkoani Kagera. Natuma salamu za pole kwa wote walioathirika na ajali hii. Tuendelee kuwa watulivu wakati huu zoezi la uokoaji likiendelea huku tukimuomba Mwenyezi Mungu atusaidie.
— Samia Suluhu (@SuluhuSamia) November 6, 2022
While the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, confirmed the death toll and stated that “all Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people who have lost their lives.”
According to the state media Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), the plane went down in the middle of a heavy storm. And an officer told the AP that it was raining when the plane went down.
However, the country’s authorities reported that investigations into what caused the accident are ongoing.
The hard rescue work
The country’s authorities also detailed that after the accident when the rescuers went to the plane, its remains were almost completely submerged. So they tried to get all the trapped passengers out.
“We have managed to save quite a few people,” said Kagera Provincial Police Commander William Mwampaghale. At the same time, he gave more details about the flight: “When the aircraft was about 100 meters in the air, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane sank in the water.”
Four crew members and 39 passengers, including a baby, were on the plane, the airline said. Of these, 24 were rescued alive.
Albert Chalamila, chief administrator of Tanzania’s Kagera region, told Reuters that the two pilots survived the impact and communicated with cabin crew before reporting that their oxygen supply was running low.
Chalamila also assured that by the time rescuers arrived they found them dead. The two flight attendants were still alive.
In parallel to the rescue work, dozens of residents could be seen on social networks observing the accident from the coast. Others tried to help pull the plane out of the water using ropes.
The plane’s journey
According to the airline, the plane left the most populous city and the commercial capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, to the east of the territory. It crashed at 8:53 am (local time) as it was approaching Bukoba airport.
As reported by Reuters, a witness told TBC that he saw the plane fly unsteadily as it approached the airport in poor visibility.
What is known about the aircraft?
It was an aircraft from the Franco-Italian manufacturer ATR, known as ATR42-500.
This aircraft was first introduced almost 40 years ago and is the smaller of two series of short-haul turboprops made by the company.
The manufacturer has not commented, but the airline did: “Precision Air extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the passengers and crew involved in this tragic accident.” He also assured that “the company will make an effort to provide them with the information and assistance they need at this difficult time.”
According to Aviation-safety.net, the last fatal accident involving an aircraft of this caliber was in 2017.
With Reuters and AP