Kagera province police said while dozens of people had been saved, some had died in the crash that happened early Sunday morning, according to the Associated Press.
The country’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa later confirmed the death toll had risen to 19.
William Mwampaghale, Kagera province police commander, told reporters: “We have managed to save quite a number of people. When the aircraft was about 100 meters (328 feet) midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water.”
According to the AP, 26 of the 43 people on board the Precision Air flight from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania were rescued from the crash site in Africa’s largest lake and taken to a nearby hospital. Rescue efforts are still ongoing, according to Mwampaghale.
The plane was headed to Bukoba Airport, which is also located in Tanzania, according to the news agency.
Photos taken near the crash site showed rescuers in boats close to the fin of the small passenger aircraft.
Meanwhile, Tanzanian airline company Precision Air shared a statement on Twitter following the crash and said it did not have confirmation of the number of fatalities involved.
“The aircraft, 5H0PWF, ATR42-500, was flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba when the accident occurred at 8:53 a.m. local time. There were 39 passengers (38 adults and one infant) and four crew on board the flight,” the company said in its statement. “A team of specially-trained Precision Air personnel and TCAA (Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority) are on their way to Bukoba to provide whatever support and assistance that may be required at the scene.”
The statement continued: “Precision Air sincerely understands the anxiety for confirmed information and will therefore do it’s best to issue more details upon confirmation from our rescue team and authority.”
Relatives and friends of those onboard the plane have been asked to call 0786-300415/ 0789-2666000 or to visit information centers at the Blue Saphire Hotel in Dar es Salaam or the ELCT Hotel in Bukoba.
In a tweet on Sunday, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, said she had been informed about the crash.
“I have received with regret the information of the plane crash of the Precision Corporation in Lake Victoria, Kagera region,” she said. “I send my condolences to all those affected by this accident. Let’s continue to be calm while the rescue operation continues while we ask Allah to help us.”
Newsweek has contacted officials from the Tanzanian government for comment.
Update 11/06/22, 10:13 a.m ET: This article was updated to include the the new death toll of 19.
