By Frank Kamuntu
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson SSP Patrick Onyango says over 20 people have died, nine rescued after their boat capsized in L.Victoria on 2nd August 2023 at 5 pm.
Onyango says that the number of people on board is alleged to be 34.
According to Police, the boat was carrying bags of charcoal, fresh foods, silverfish among others.
”The cause of the accident is attributed to overloading and bad weather. Rescue efforts are underway with teams from Police Marines, UPDF Fisheries Protection Unit, and local community on the waters trying to locate the missing people,” says Police adding;
”We appeal to members of the public who travel on waters to always wear life jackets and not to overload their vessels.”
Africa’s largest Lake Victoria is shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. It has a surface area of 70,000sq km (27,000sq miles) – roughly the size of Ireland.
There have been many boat disasters on the oval-shaped lake over the years with the accidents often blamed on overcrowding and poor weather.
At least 32 people died in November 2018 after a pleasure boat sank on Lake Victoria during bad weather. Ugandan police said at the time that the vessel had more than 90 revelers on board.
In September of that year, hundreds died when the MV Nyerere passenger ferry sank on the Tanzanian side of Lake Victoria.
