Two Kenyans among 19 dead in Precision Air Plane crash
Two Kenyans are among the 19 people that perished after a Precision Air Plane crashed in Lake Victoria near Bukoba Airport, Tanzania on Sunday.
According to a report released by Tanzanian authorities, Peter Odhiambo, a First Officer and Eunice Ndirangu, a passenger, are among casualties of the crash.
Five of the deceased were employees of Management and Development for Health (MDH), a local non-profit working in public health who were travelling to Tabora through Mwanza for business.
According to survivors of the plane crash, all was well between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza until they approached Bukoba where the weather was rough.
“As we approached Bukoba, the pilot alerted us that the weather was not fine and that it was raining heavily so we went past Bukoba towards the border with Uganda before we could turn back,” Richard Komba, a passenger on board at the time of the crash said.
Salvatory Temba, another survivor said that after arriving in the Lake Zone, the captain informed passengers that the weather was bad and hinted that the situation could worsen.
“Despite being cautioned, we remained optimistic that the situation would return to normalcy. When the accident occurred, water quickly flooded the plane and passengers began scrambling to save their lives,” he said.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on behalf of Tanzania’s President yesterday led mourners in paying their final respects to the deceased and to handover the bodies to their families.
“President Samia Suluhu has directed that the state will finance all the burial expenses,” he said.
He also confirmed that two members of the rescue party died and that there were 43 people of who 39 were passengers, two cabin crew and two pilots on board at the time of the crash.
