PHOTOS: Plane crashes into Lake Victoria in Tanzania

A plane carrying 43 people crash-landed in Lake Victoria on Sunday while trying to reach a nearby airport in Tanzania.

At least 19 people were killed when the plane, operated by Precision Air, crashed on approach to the lakeside city of Bukoba, according to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa. The airline had previously said that 26 people had been rescued from the plane.

Flight PW494, which departed from the commercial capital Dar-es-Salaam, “crashed” into the lake as it approached the lakeside city of Bukoba.

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

Videos and images circulating on social media show the plane almost completely submerged, with only its green and brown tail visible above the waterline of Africa’s largest lake.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan called for calm as the rescue operation continued.

“It was with sadness that I received the news of the Precision Air plane crash,” he tweeted. “Let’s remain calm at this time as rescuers continue the rescue mission as we pray for God to help us.”