A small plane flying between two islands of the Comoros archipelago in the Indian Ocean, with twelve passengers and two pilots on board, crashed into the sea on Saturday, sources said.
“The search operations underway (…) have begun to find the debris of the aircraft in the coastal area of Djoiezi confirming the air crash,” said a statement from the Ministry of Transport.
The government said that the twelve passengers are all Comorian, while the two crew members are Tanzanian nationals.
Crisis cells have been set up for the families on each of the two islands. Fishermen and speedboats had immediately gone to the position where the signal was lost, authorities said, requesting assistance from the French government from the neighboring island of Mayotte.
“Three speed boats were dispatched, this is what allowed the recovery of debris from the plane and items belonging to the passengers,” said Abdel-Kader Mohamed, director general of the police.
“Tomorrow, we will continue the search. As long as no bodies have been found, there is hope,” he added.