URUMQI - One person died and two others were injured when an aircraft crashed into a lake on Saturday afternoon in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, local authorities confirmed Sunday.

Around 1:30 pm Saturday, the aircraft carrying three people, including the pilot, crashed into Bosten Lake, a tourist spot in Xinjiang's Bohu County, according to the county government.

The front of the aircraft plunged into lake bottom.

The pilot drowned due to a faulty seat belt, and the two passengers were rescued and sent to hospital. After it was confirmed that they sustained no serious injuries, they left the county.

A businessman owned the private aircraft, which was used for sightseeing around this tourist spot.

Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.

Bosten Lake, located on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang, is the largest inland freshwater lake in China. Its water area covers over 1,600 square kilometers.