2 confirmed dead in plane crash in Malawi

Two people were confirmed dead after a small aircraft crashed into Lake Malawi on Tuesday, local authorities said Wednesday, Report informs via Xinhua.

The aircraft, carrying a crew member and two passengers, went down in the Nkhotakota district, approximately 200 km northeast of the capital, Lilongwe, according to Wongani Mkandawire, the district spokesperson.

The 50-year-old Zimbabwean pilot and a 29-year-old Dutch passenger were confirmed dead. The only survivor, 22-year-old Dutch woman Charlotte Lemstra, was rescued by local fishermen and is currently in stable condition at Nkhotakota District Hospital, Mkandawire said.

Information from the survivor indicates that "the pilot lost conscious midair" during the flight from Nkhotakota to Liwonde, a township about 235 km south of Lilongwe, the spokesperson said.

The aircraft, a C210 type with registration number 7QPFU, belonged to Nyasa Express Company, as confirmed by Malawian government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu on Tuesday.