Pleasure cruise in Uganda ends in tragedy

MutiMa ( uganda): Uganda police say at least 29 people died when a boat capsized in Lake Victoria near the capital, Kampala.

Rescue teams are retrieving bodies from the boat that overturned and sank at about 7pm on Saturday night, said senior police officer Zurah Ganyana.

She said that 27 people were rescued overnight, lower than earlier reports.

The vessel carrying close to a hundred revellers sank during bad weather in the latest deadly incident to affect passenger boats on Africa’s largest lake.

Ganyana said the boat was in poor condition and had been grounded for some time. She said it did not have a valid license to operate.

The boat was taking passengers on a pleasure cruise on Lake Victoria, a popular weekend activity for young people in Kampala. It capsized close to shore.

Witnesses on Saturday night said they heard people calling for help as they tried to stay afloat and others tried to swim ashore. Many were women.

One reason many people died so close to shore was likely “intoxication,” said Asuman Mugenyi, national director of police operations.

Citing the accounts of some survivors, he said there was a good number of life jackets aboard the doomed vessel that passengers neglected to wear. — AP