The Africa Tourism Board (ATB) Executive Chairman Mr. Cuthbert Ncube joined other sympathizers to express the board’s sorrow and sympathy to the people of Tanzania for losing their loved ones from the PrecisionAir accident.
“It is with deepest sympathy to have lost our loved ones in Tanzania at a time when the tourism sector is gaining momentum in connecting our domestic and regional destinations.
“As we honor those who have lost their lives, we would want to convey our deepest condolences to the loved ones and those who survived; we pray for prompt recovery from this tragic trauma,” Mr. Ncube said through the ATB message.
The accident involved flight PW-494 5H-PWF, ATR42-500, which was flying from Dar es Salaam city on the Indian Ocean coast to Bukoba on the shores of Lake Victoria which had nosedived into the lake at 08:53 a.m. (05:53 GMT).
Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa confirmed the Precision Air crash in Bukoba, Kagera Region, on Sunday to have claimed 19 lives of its passengers on board.
He said that an extensive investigation would be carried out to determine the full causes of the crash.
Flight PW-494 crash landed in Lake Victoria when attempting to land at the Bukoba Airport with 43 passengers on board. At least 26 passengers survived the crash.
The flight was expected to land at Bukoba Airport at around 8:30 a.m., but around 8:53 a.m. the Control Operations Centre obtained information that the plane was yet to land.
The PW 494 aircraft was traveling with a capacity of 45 passengers registered as 39 passengers (38 adults and one infant) and 4 crew on board.
“Precision Air extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the passenger and crew involved in this tragic incident. The company will strive to provide them with information and whatever assistance they will require in their difficult time,” the airline said in a statement.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan has expressed her condolences to those affected by the accident.
“I have received with sadness the news of the accident involving Precision Air’s plane,” the President stated.
“Let’s continue to be calm while the rescue operation continues as we pray to God to help us,” she said on her Twitter account.
WHAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS ARTICLE:
- The accident involved flight PW-494 5H-PWF, ATR42-500, which was flying from Dar es Salaam city on the Indian Ocean coast to Bukoba on the shores of Lake Victoria which had nosedived into the lake at 08.
- “It is with deepest sympathy to have lost our loved ones in Tanzania at a time when the tourism sector is gaining momentum in connecting our domestic and regional destinations.
- The PW 494 aircraft was traveling with a capacity of 45 passengers registered as 39 passengers (38 adults and one infant) and 4 crew on board.
