By Political Reporter- A Zimbabwean Pilot is one of the two people who died after a Zimbabwean private plane they were boarding crashed into Lake Malawi.

Fungay Jonathan (50), is the Zimbabwean pilot who died together with a Dutch national, Frisco Westheim (29).  

The C210 aircraft, number 7Q-PFU, had three passengers on board when it crashed into Lake Malawi around the Nkhotakota area.

Nkhotakota district commissioner where the crash happened, Ben Matengeni Tonho, said the deceased included a Zimbabwean pilot and a Dutch national.

One and only survivor of the plane, operated by the Zimbabwean company Nyasa Express, was rescued by local fishermen.

Matengeni said that the bodies were recovered on Wednesday morning as search efforts intensified. He said:

We mobilized the support of locals and fishermen. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to retrieve the bodies and the wreckage. The bodies have since been transported to a district hospital.

The C2110 aircraft had taken off from Nkhotakota and was en route to eastern Malawi when it crashed approximately 45 minutes before landing.

This incident follows a serious aviation accident in Malawi on June 10, in which an aircraft crash claimed the lives of Saulosi Klaus Chilima, the country’s vice president, and eight others. Investigations into that crash are ongoing.

-Anadolu