Tanzania: 11 confirmed dead in plane crash

By Peter Saramba Ongiri

ARUSHA, Tanzania (AA) - Eleven people were killed Wednesday in a plane crash in Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania.

The Coastal Aviation Company Management, the owner of the aircraft, and the Arusha regional police chief Charles Mkumbo all confirmed the deaths.

“We are deeply saddened to report that 11 peoples have died after a single plane accident this morning in northern Tanzania,” said the company's director Julian Edmunds in a statement.

In a four-paragraph statement, the company said the names of the passengers and crew were being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Confirming the deaths, the police chief said an investigation was launched to establish the cause of accident.

The aircraft, of which the capacity was 12 passengers, was heading to the famous Serengeti National Park, a popular tourist destination.