Uganda boat capsizes: At least 30 dead after party ship sinks on Lake Victoria

Rescue boats on Lake Victoria following the tragedy
REUTERS
Jacob Jarvis25 November 2018

At least 30 people are dead after a party boat capsized on Lake Victoria in Uganda.

The boat overturned at around 7pm on Saturday, near the capital Kampala, and officials expect the death toll to rise.

There were 90 on board and a senior police officer confirmed 30 deaths while 27 people others have been rescued.

Zurah Ganyana said the boat was in poor condition and she did not believe it had a valid licence to operate.

Boats have been out on the lake and divers have been underwater
REUTERS

With authorities fearing more fatalities, a team of divers searched for bodies under the water on Sunday, while a helicopter flew overhead.

The passengers were on a pleasure cruise, a popular weekend activity in the area, when the incident occurred close to shore.

A helicopter flew overhead as crews manned boats on the lake
REUTERS

"They were shouting `Help us! Help us!' and the boat was sinking very quickly," said Sam Tukei, one of several men who used fishermen's canoes to rescue people. "By the time the police came we had saved many people."

Victims include the couple who owned the boat, according to Ms Ganyana.

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

He said there was a good number of life jackets aboard the vessel, according to some survivors, that passengers neglected to wear.

The boat's passengers likely panicked when the vessel started to sink, he said.

Boat accidents are increasingly common on East Africa's major lakes.

This includes Lake Victoria, which is surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

In September, more than 200 people were killed in a Tanzanian ferry disaster with officials saying it had been dangerously overcrowded.

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