A tragic plane crash in Malawi has claimed the lives of a Zimbabwean pilot and a Dutch passenger, while another Dutch national survived the incident. Malawian officials confirmed the crash occurred on Tuesday when a small Cessna aircraft plunged into Lake Malawi, approximately 200 kilometres (125 miles) northeast of the capital, Lilongwe.
The deceased have been identified as 50-year-old Zimbabwean pilot Fungay Jonathan and 29-year-old Dutchman Frisco Westheim, according to a government statement.
Remarkably, 22-year-old Dutch woman Charlotte Lemstra managed to escape the wreckage by climbing through a window. She was rescued by local fishermen on the lake, sustaining only minor facial injuries. After receiving treatment at a hospital, Lemstra was discharged, as confirmed by Malawi’s Tourism Minister, Vera Kamtukule, who met with her following the incident.
The ill-fated flight was en route from Nkhotakota, in northeastern Malawi, to Makhanga in the southeast when the plane crashed around 3 pm.