Bangkok Post

30 dead, scores missing after boat sinks on Lake Victoria

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MUTIMA: Thirty people have died and more than 60 are feared drowned after a pleasure boat sank on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police said yesterday.

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

“Thirty bodies have been recovered and 27 people rescued,” said Asuman Mugenyi, director of operations for the Ugandan police. “According to one of the survivors there were more than 90 people on board,” he added.

The boat, on which party-goers were drinking, dancing and listening to music, sank a short distance from the shore off Mutima in Mukono District, close to the capital Kampala.

Mr Mugenyi said overloadin­g and bad weather were likely to blame.

“We expect (the number of passengers) is beyond the capacity of the boat. It was overloaded and unfortunat­ely people were drunk,” Mr 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.”

Mr Kikongo said first responders were among the victims. “Fishermen on two small boats could see that the boat was sinking and went to help. People tried to jump onto the boats but they were too many and those sunk. The rescuers died too,” he said.

Nearby residents said the vessel was hired out for parties every weekend and often overloaded with revellers.

The Mutima Country Haven resort had been converted to a triage centre and morgue yesterday morning where police were collecting the swollen bodies of victims

Police spokesman Emilian Kayima said rescue efforts were continuing.

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.

With a surface area of 70,000 square kilometres, oval-shaped Lake Victoria is roughly the size of Ireland and is shared by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

It is not uncommon for ferries to capsise 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.

 ?? REUTERS ?? Rescuers gather at the shores of Lake Victoria searching for bodies of dead passengers after a cruise boat capsized in Mukono district on Saturday.
REUTERS Rescuers gather at the shores of Lake Victoria searching for bodies of dead passengers after a cruise boat capsized in Mukono district on Saturday.

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