At least 19 people have died after a small passenger plane crashed into Lake Victoria in Tanzania this morning.
The Precision Air flight from Dar es Salaam, one of the main cities of the country in East Africa, experienced "problems and bad weather " while approaching Bukoba Airport, the capital of the Kagera Region in northwest Tanzania, local authorities said.
Flight PW494 hit the water during storms and heavy rain, the state Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) reported.
Photos from the scene of the incident showed the plane mostly submerged in Lake Victoria, which is one of the African Great Lakes.
Rescuers rushed to the scene of the incident to pull put trapped passengers, authorities said.
Officials added there were 43 people on board and 26 of them were taken to hospital after the crash.
Initially, it was estimated that there were three casualties, but later Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa confirmed the new death toll of 19 people.
The PM said: "All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people ... who have lost their lives."
He added authorities are carrying out an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale said: "We have managed to save quite a number of people.
"When the aircraft was about 100 metres (328ft) midair, it encountered problems and bad weather.
"It was raining and the plane plunged into the water. Everything is under control."
The plane left Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania, and "crash-landed" at 8.53am local time (5.53am GMT) as it was approaching the airport.
The two pilots survived the crash and were in touch with rescue workers from the cockpit before reporting that their oxygen supply was dwindling, Albert Chalamila, chief administrator of Tanzania's Kagera region, said.
They were dead when rescue workers reached them, but the two flight attendants survived, he said.
Precision Air, Tanzania's largest privately owned airline, said in a statement: "Precision Air extends its deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the passenger(s) and crew involved in this tragic accident.
"The company will strive to provide them with information and whatever assistance they will require in this difficult time."
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for calm, tweeting: "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."
