At least 20 killed after boat capsizes on Lake Victoria in Uganda

GOOBJOOG NEWS | KAMPALA: At least 20 people have died after an overloaded boat capsized on Lake Victoria, Uganda Wednesday.

Police said the vessel was carrying charcoal, fresh foods and fish when the accident happened.

“The cause of the accident is attributed to overloading and bad weather,” the police said on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter.

Nine passengers were rescued, it added.

Police added that rescue efforts to locate the missing people were under way.

“We appeal to members of the public who travel on waters to always wear life jackets and not to over load their vessels.”

Africa’s largest lake is shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

There have been many boat disasters on the 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 revellers on board.

In September that year, hundreds died when the MV Nyerere passenger ferry sank on the Tanzanian side of Lake Victoria.