LILONGWE, Malawi — Two individuals aboard a Zimbabwean privately owned aircraft that crashed into Lake Malawi on Tuesday have been found dead, a local government official confirmed.

The victims include a Zimbabwean pilot and a Dutch national, according to Ben Matengeni Tonho, district commissioner for Malawi's Nkhotakota, where the plane went down.

The aircraft, belonging to the Zimbabwean company Nyasa Express, also carried a Dutch female passenger who was rescued by local fishermen and is currently being treated for minor injuries in a hospital.

Matengeni reported that the bodies were discovered early Wednesday morning following intensified rescue efforts. “We mobilized the support of locals and fishermen. It’s through their efforts that we managed to retrieve the bodies and the wreckage. The bodies have since been taken to a district hospital,” he said.

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

This tragic incident follows a previous aircraft crash on June 10, which claimed the lives of Malawi’s vice president, Saulosi Klaus Chilima, and eight others. Investigations into both crashes are ongoing. — Agencies