26 out of 50 people who were travelling in a big boat on lake Victoria in Uganda got drowned Thursday night. The police officer in charge of Sigulu police post near where the boat capasized, Benard Ouma, said that by today evening 19 dead bodies had been recovered.
Ouma said,”It was a terrible accident. So far the bodies of 18 people who drowned have been recovered by rescue workers. The accident occurred about 24 nautical miles from Sigulu which was the nearest island. It took us sometime to learn about the accident”
He said that the boat which was overloaded by 50 people and goods was a large dugout canoe fitted with a motor. He said it was hit by strong waves during a storm, forcing it to capsize near Usenge, a border point between Uganda and Kenya.
One of the survivors, James Wandera said,” The journey was going on well until when they ran out of fuel almost 2 hours after it left Lugala landing site. Soon after, strong waves hit the boat and it capsized.”
He said that only those who had life jackes survived. He was among those with life jacket.
He said that fishermen travelling in another boat rescued him and a few others after several hours.
Since the accident took place near the boarder with Kenya, police from Uganda and Kenya are working together to look for the remaining dead bodies.
Within this very week over twenty people died in two road accidents in central part of Uganda. Police records in Uganda indicate that over 10,000 die from road accidents each year.
