10 dead, dozens missing after boat capsizes in Lake Victoria
Ten people were reported dead and dozens missing after a boat capsized in Lake Victoria on Saturday afternoon.
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.
RESCUE MISSION
Police spokesman Mr Emilian Kayima could not divulge more details on the accident by press time.
On social media, the police wrote, “The Uganda Police Force Marine Unit rescues over 40 people alive in Lake Victoria. Ten died. Rescue mission still on.”
In September, Tanzania’s MV Nyerere ferry capsized in Lake Victoria leaving at least 224 people dead.
PASSENGERS BLAMED
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.
In 1966, more than 800 people lost their lives on Lake Victoria when the MV Bukoba sank off the mainland town of Mwanza, according to the Red Cross.