Rescuers Recover 9 Bodies of Fishermen Killed After Gusty Winds Swept Across Lake Rukwa in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, Xinhua: Rescuers on Saturday recovered nine bodies of 10 fishermen who went missing on Friday after gusty winds swept away their fishing boats in Lake Rukwa in Tanzania, according to local authorities.

In a telephone interview with Xinhua, Nyakia Chirukile, commissioner of Sumbawanga District in Rukwa Region, told Xinhua that the 540 fishermen were rescued after the gusty winds swept across the lake.

Chirukile said a team of rescuers, including 36 divers from the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force, was still searching for one more missing fisherman.

He said the government released an army helicopter on Friday to assist in the rescue efforts, adding that gusty winds swept across the lake as the fishermen were in their routine fishing activities.

Lake Rukwa is an endorheic lake located in the Rukwa Valley of Rukwa Region, Songwe Region, and Katavi Region in southwestern Tanzania. The lake is the third-largest inland body of water in the country.