A Tanzanian Precision Air flight attempted to land in Lake Victoria but crashed on Sunday carrying 43 people while trying to reach a nearby airport, the airline said.

Iran PressAfrica: At least three people were killed, the state broadcaster said in a tweet, citing a local official. There was no immediate confirmation from the airline, which said earlier that 26 people had been rescued from the plane.

Flight PW494, which departed from the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, "crash landed" into the lake as it was approaching the lakeside city of Bukoba, Precision Air added, according to Reuters.

The cause was not immediately clear, but the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) said the incident took place amid storms and heavy rains.

A witness told TBC he saw the plane flying unsteadily as it approached the airport in poor visibility conditions, saying it took a turn for the airport but missed and went into the lake.

Video and pictures circulating on social media showed the plane almost fully submerged, with only its green and brown-coloured tail visible above the water line of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake.

The plane was carrying 39 passengers, including an infant, as well as four crew members, the airline said.

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Photo by Reuters
Photo by Reuters
Photo by Reuters