KAMPALA (Halbeeg News) – The death toll from a boat capsized in Lake Victoria on Saturday afternoon has hit 33 people as 22 bodies had been recovered.
Bodies of the deceased have been taken to Kampala City Mortuary for post-mortem as search and rescue operation resumed this morning.
The boat, which was occupied by revellers on a cruise, capsized in Mpatta Sub-county in Mukono District, Uganda.
Prince David Wasajja, the brother of Buganda King Kabaka Ronald Mutebi, had been on board but he was rescued.
“It is a sad moment. The Uganda People’s Defence Force and the Uganda Police Force marine units [are continuing with the] search and rescue mission for survivors and those who perished in the boat cruise from KK beach,” army spokesperson, Brigadier Richard Karemire, said in a statement.
There was no information on the number of passengers who had been on board at a time of the incident and the reason why the vessel sank.
In September, Tanzania’s MV Nyerere ferry capsized in Lake Victoria leaving at least 224 people dead.
Witnesses told AFP that the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock. Others blamed the captain, saying he had made a brusque manoeuvre.
It is not uncommon for ferries to capsize on the lake, and the number of fatalities is often high due to a shortage of life jackets and the fact that many local people cannot swim.
Discussion about this post