A Precision Air ATR 42-500 crashed yesterday at a lake in Lake Victoria while on approach to Bukoba Airport.
Flight PW494 was carrying 39 passengers and 4 crew from which 19 have been confirmed dead.
According to Prime Minister Kasim Majaliwa, all bodies have been recovered from the aircraft and currently, they are pulling out luggage and personal items from the aircraft.
"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," - Kassim Majaliwa
Early reports suggest bad weather may have played a significant role in the crash as the area had been under heavy rainfall and strong winds at the time.
Local fishermen were first on the scene and they pulled survivors onto the boats as the flight attendant opened the rear door.
Rescue workers were later seen using ropes to pull the ATR-42 aircraft closer to the shore and a part of the fuselage is now above the water.
Precision Air has opened a Crisis Management Center and established information areas in Bukoba and Dar es Salaam to communicate with the families of the passengers.
Precision Air
Precision Air is a Tanzanian airline based at Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam operating scheduled passenger flights to Nairobi, Entebbe and within Tanzania.
The carrier has a fleet of 8 ATR which include ATR 42-500, 42-600 and 72-500.
In the past, the carriers ’ATRs were involved in 4 major accidents/incidents however no passengers or crew were injured as a result.
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