Dozens dead after boat sinks

UGANDA - At least 29 people have died and more than 60 are feared drowned after a pleasure boat sank on Lake Victoria, according to Ugandan police. The vessel carrying more than 80 revelers sank during bad weather on Saturday in the latest deadly incident to affect passenger boats on Africa’s largest lake. “The boat was overloaded and secondly there was bad weather”, the deputy police spokesman, Patrick Onyango, told Reuters, adding the boat was carrying 84 people. “Our rescue team is still on the ground trying to rescue whoever we can find.” The boat sank a short distance from the shore off Mutima in the Mukono district, close to the capital, Kampala. Asuman Mugenyi, the director of operations for the Ugandan police, said overloading and bad weather were likely to blame. “We expect [the number of passengers] is beyond the capacity of the boat”, Mugenyi said. “We suspect the mechanical condition of the boat and the weather contributed to the sinking.” “A big storm hit”, said local government official Richard Kikongo. “It can be fine on land but bad weather on the lake.” Kikongo said first responders were among the victims. “Fishermen on two small boats could see that the boat was sinking and went to help”, he said. “People tried to jump on to the boats but they were too many and those sunk. The rescuers died too.” Nearby residents said the vessel was hired out for parties every weekend and often overloaded with revelers.

Lake Victoria is the site of many boat disasters. In September, hundreds died when the MV Nyerere passenger ferry sank on the Tanzanian side of Lake Victoria, which is also shared by Kenya.

(The Guardian)