Business Insider Africa has learned that the Cessna Caravan aircraft registered in Tanzania was leased from a Comorian operator (AB Aviation) when the unfortunate incident occurred. Rescuers have since searched the sea in a desperate attempt to find passengers and crew believed to be already dead.

Among the missing passengers are 12 Comorian nationals and two Tanzanian pilots. Local media reported that the plane was carrying passengers from the island’s capital, Moroni, to Fomboni when it fell from the sky.

Fly Zanzibar Limited, the airline that owns the missing plane, said the pilots had not reported any technical issues before the crash. In addition, the airline’s chief executive, Mohammed Mazrui, told Reuters the accident may have been caused by bad weather.

Meanwhile, AB Aviation, the Comoros-based private airline that leased the plane, said the plane suddenly disappeared from radar just 2.5 kilometers from its destination. The company said the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

He told Reuters there was no sign of the missing plane or missing passengers, although rescuers reported seeing material that looked like floating debris.

Note that this is the second documented accident involving a light aircraft this month. On February 10, a light crashed into Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town, injuring two passengers.