A precision air turboprop plane crashed en route from Dar Es Salaam to Bukoba. Several occupants survived the accident.
The Precision Air ATR 42 was almost there. On Sunday morning (November 5th) the machine took off from the Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam and had Bukoba in the Kagera region as its destination. But just as she was about to land over Lake Victoria, something went wrong.
As the airline has now confirmed, the plane crashed. Local media reports that the weather was bad at the time of the accident. It stormed and rained.
Several people saved
Photos on social media show the machine’s tail unit in the water of Africa’s largest lake. Fishing boats are at the scene of the accident and are helping with the rescue work. It is not yet officially known how many people were on board. Reports vary between 49 and 53 people.
At least 15 occupants appeared to have survived the crash and were taken to hospitals, according to authorities. Other reports already mention 23 rescued people.
Nine planes in the fleet
Precision Air is based in Tanzania’s capital, Dar Es Salaam. Its fleet consists of nine aircraft, all of them ATR 42. According to unconfirmed media reports, the aircraft involved in the accident was a 15-year-old ATR 42-500.
Report is continuously updated
