“All Tanzanians join you in mourning these 19 people … who have lost their lives,” Majaliwa told reporters in the northwestern city of Bukoba, where the plane was approaching the airport before it plunged into the water.
The plane, with 49 passengers and four crew members, is said to have plunged into Lake Victoria in Tanzania, 100 meters from the airport.
The crash was caused by bad weather conditions, local media said, Sputnik reported.
A video posted to Twitter shows the plane's fuselage - apparently intact but submerged in shallow water, with its tail sticking out of the water - and a crowd of locals watching the rescue efforts of several fishing boats.
The latest plane accident in Tanzania occurred five years ago when 11 people died as a result of Safari Company’s plane crash.
MP/PR