The African Union Commission chair, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has offered condolences to Tanzania after three people died when a plane carrying 43 people plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania early on Sunday November 6.
The incident is said to have been caused due to bad weather, and it happened shortly before the plane was due to land in the north-western city of Bukoba.
Media reports say that a Precision Air plane crashed into water about 100 meters from the airport.
Precision Air is Tanzania's largest private airline.
The 43 people include 39 passengers, two pilots and two cabin crew who were aboard flight PW 494 from financial capital Dar es Salaam to the lakeside city in Kagera region.
“Our hearts and prayers go to the families of passengers on-board a plane that crashed into Lake Victoria, with our full solidarity to the Government and people of Tanzania,” Mahamat sent a comfort message to Tanzania.
According to the Regional Commissioner, Albert Chalamila, 26 have been rescued and are currently at Kagera Hospital. The Citizen media reported.
Tanzania’s President, Samia Suluhu Hassan, expressed her empathy to those affected by the accident.
"Let's continue to be calm while the rescue operation continues as we pray to God to help us," she said on Twitter.
A rescue operation is still underway to save passengers.
The two pilots survived the crash but remain trapped inside the cockpit and have been speaking to local officials, BBC reported.
Rescue workers and local fishermen are on the scene searching for more survivors.
The plane is almost completely submerged with only the brown and green tail fin above the water, surrounded by rescue workers and fishing boats.
Emergency workers are using ropes to try and pull the ATR-42 aircraft out of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake.
Precision Air, which is partly owned by Kenya Airways, was founded in 1993 and operates domestic and regional flights as well as private charters to popular tourist destinations such as the Serengeti National Park and Zanzibar. By Michel Nkurunziza, New Times
