19 dead after commercial aircraft crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

In a rather unfortunate event, a passenger aeroplane crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania while attempting to land at the nearby airport in Bukoba on Sunday, as per a report by Reuters.

The rescue operation is currently underway and according to authorities, 15 people have been rescued from the water so far.

Flight number PW 494 had taken off from the capital, Dar es Salaam before plunging into Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake), primarily due to bad weather as storm and heavy rains lashed the region.

The plane belonged to a Tanzanian airline company named PrecisionAir which operates passenger services to Nairobi, Entebbe and different airstrips spread across the country.

The company, in an official statement, after the crash said, "PrecisionAir flight no. PW 494, flying from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba, was involved in an accident as it was approaching Bukoba Airport.”

“The rescue team has been dispatched to the scene and more information will be released in two hours,” the statement added.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan took to Twitter to inform about the crash and asked people to remain calm as the rescue operations were underway.

"I have received with sadness the news of the accident involving Precision Air's plane. Let's be calm at this moment when rescuers are continuing with the rescue mission while praying to God to help us."

Photos and videos of the crashed plane in the lake going viral on social media platforms depict a mostly submerged aircraft body with only the coloured tail visible.