DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- A 20-year-old fisherman, who led a rescue mission for passengers after their plane crashed into Lake Victoria on Sunday morning, was honored at the Tanzanian parliament on Friday.
Majaliwa Jackson, the fisherman, who visited the House chamber in the Tanzanian capital of Dodoma, was introduced to members of parliament by speaker Tulia Ackson with thunderous applause.
The young fisherman, who has turned into a hero, was accompanied by members of the Fire and Rescue Force (FRF) when he was introduced from the speaker's gallery.
The lawmakers contributed 5 million Tanzanian shillings (about 2,145 U.S. dollars) to the fisherman in appreciation for his bravery.
On Monday, President Samia Suluhu Hassan ordered the Ministry of Home Affairs to employ the fisherman in the FRF.
Seventeen passengers and two pilots were killed after Precision Air's aircraft crash-landed in Lake Victoria on Sunday as it approached the Bukoba airport from the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam. A total of 24 people, including 22 passengers and two cabin crew members, were rescued. ■