Passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

By Kizito Makoye

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AA) – Rescue efforts are underway after a passenger plane plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania on Sunday morning.

Precision Air flight number PW494 was heading from the commercial hub Dar es Salaam to Mwanza via Bukoba, according to authorities.

It crashed into Lake Victoria at around 10.50 a.m. local time (0750GMT), just before the scheduled landing at Bukoba Airport.

There were 53 people on board the aircraft, including 49 passengers, according to local media reports.

There are no confirmed figures yet on the number of passengers or casualties, William Mwampanghale, a regional police commander, told Anadolu Agency from the site of the crash.

Videos circulating on social media show the plane’s submerged yellow and green fuselage surrounded by rescue boats.