By Frank Kamuntu
On Wednesday evening and Thursday morning, two boat accidents occurred on Lake Victoria, according to Kampala Metropolitan Police Spokesperson Patrick Onyango.
The Police mouth piece says the exact time of the accidents has not been specified but the first incident involved a boat traveling from Kasi islands to Katosi in Mukono district. On board were an unidentified woman, a man, and a load of foodstuff.
Onyango says due to overloading and bad weather conditions, the boat capsized and tragically, the woman drowned, while the man was rescued by fishmongers.
”The second incident involved a transport boat heading from Kiseba islands to Katosi in Mukono. The boat was carrying 11 people and cargo consisting of 100 bags of charcoal, 40 bags of silver fish, and personal belongings,” says Onyango.
He adds that the boat capsized between Jana and Kimmi but fortunately, six individuals were rescued by another transport boat, while five people remain missing.
”Police Marines are actively conducting a search and rescue operation in the waters to locate the missing individuals, whether alive or deceased,” says Onyango adding, ”The primary causes of both accidents were determined to be overloading and adverse weather conditions.”
He further states, ”In light of these incidents, we appeal to all travelers who utilize water transport to prioritize their safety by wearing life jackets and refraining from overloading their vessels.”
