The waters of Lake Malawi, a shared jewel between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, have claimed two lives after a Zimbabwean privately owned aircraft crashed into its depths on Tuesday.
The victims, a Zimbabwean pilot and a Dutch national, were confirmed dead after a desperate search effort by local authorities and fishermen who helped to search for the dead bodies and rescued the fortunate woman who survived the crash.
The aircraft, a C2110 belonging to Nyasa Express, had taken off from the lakeshore district of Nkhotakota in Malawi, en route to the eastern part of the country. It crashed 45 minutes before its intended landing, plunging into the lake and leaving a trail of sorrow in its wake.
“We mobilized the support of locals and fishermen. And it’s through their efforts that we managed to get hold of the bodies and the wreckage. The bodies have since been taken to a district hospital,” said Ben Matengeni Tonho, district commissioner for Malawi’s Nkhotakota, where the crash occurred.
The crash has cast a shadow of grief over both Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, as the two nations mourn the loss of their citizens.
The Dutch national, whose identity has not yet been released, was travelling with a Dutch female passenger believed to be his girlfriend who was fortunate enough to be rescued by a group of fishermen. She is currently receiving treatment for minor injuries at a local hospital.
This tragedy comes just over two months after another aircraft crash in Malawi claimed the life of Saulosi Klaus Chilima, the country’s vice president, and eight others. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of that crash, and authorities are now focusing on understanding the circumstances that led to the latest tragedy.
The incident has also raised concerns about the safety of privately owned aircraft, particularly those operating in remote areas.
While the cause of the crash is still under investigation, authorities are working tirelessly to gather evidence and determine what went wrong. The wreckage of the plane has been recovered, and investigators will be examining it closely to determine if mechanical failure, pilot error, or other factors played a role in the crash.
