l
Tanzania’s cabinet has pledged to strengthen the country’s disaster response services a week after 19 people died in a plane crash in the north-western lakeside town of Bukoba.
There was intense public criticism of the official emergency response after it was reported that local fishermen had acted quickly and saved 24 passengers from the wrecked Precision Air plane.
In Monday’s meeting the government also instructed local officials to collaborate with experts from abroad in the ongoing investigation into the cause of the crash.
The state spokesperson, Gerson Msigwa, said the emergency cabinet meeting chaired by President Samia Suluhu, issued instructions to find the cause of the crash and recommendations on changes that should be made.
Meanwhile, Precision Air’s management says it has started compensation procedures for the affected families, and that the exercise would be conducted secretly according to national insurance procedures.
According to the Tanzania authorities, international experts and the plane’s manufacturers, the initial report on the crash will be published in 14 days.