19 dead after commercial aircraft crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania
ZIMBABWE | MALAWI — A cargo plane with 49 people on board was carrying fruit to Somalia when it crashed into Lake Victoria in the eastern part of the country, according to two local officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“It was a big crash,” said one of the officials in Bulawayo. “At least 45 dead, including one child.”
About 100 people were aboard the cargo plane when the crash occurred Saturday en route to Mogadishu.
The two officials said the crash occurred near the outskirts of a settlement of about 1,000 people.
The passenger manifest showed that the plane was destined to drop off 45 passengers in Somalia, according to the officials. Another 50 passengers were on the plane, but they did not make it to Somalia.
Police spokesman Peter Njoroge confirmed the crash but did not say if the aircraft was carrying fruit.
Police have detained the crew of the plane and are looking for people suspected to be involved in the accident, said Njoroge, who declined to name the passengers.
A security source said the occupants were carrying a cargo of bananas but the cause of the accident was unclear.
The National Disaster Management Authority said it was “in the process of verifying the situation.”
Tanzania Airlines operates a regular passenger service between the capital, Dar es Salaam, and Mombasa. The route also serves Pemba Island, which is about 1,600 kilometres from Dar es Salaam.
A senior official from Tanzania’s air force told The Associated Press authorities had suspended the Mombasa flight to Dar es Salaam Saturday night, saying the Boeing 737, which had no passengers aboard, was carrying out a routine check.
The official was not authorized to be identified by name and spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not clear if the suspension
