Tanzania ferry disaster: Magufuli orders arrest of MV Nyereres owners
News & Trends •
the cause of the accident was not immediately clear but overloading is frequently to blame for such incidents2 i have not heard from either my father or my younger brother who were on the ferry. they had gone to the market in bugolora to buy a school uniform and other supplies for the new school term said domina maua who was among those seeking information about loved ones1 witnesses reached by afp said the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock1 in a speech broadcast on tbc one public television magufuli said it appears clear that the ferry was overloaded adding that negligence has cost us so many lives children mothers students old people1 i ordered the arrest of all those involved in the management of the ferry. the arrests have already begun he added1 the president declared four days of national mourning while saying at least 131 people had died updating an earlier death toll of 1261 magufuli also announced the government would cover the funeral expenses of the victims1 mwanza governor john mongella had earlier said the number of survivors was 40 but it was unclear whether any new survivors had been found since rescue operations resumed with police and army divers on friday morning1 operations are continuing he said but hopes are fading that more survivors might still be found1 state television cited witnesses reporting that more than 200 people had boarded the ferry at bugolora a town on the larger ukerewe island where it was market day when locals said the vessel was usually packed with people and goods1 the mv nyerere may have been carrying as many as 200 passengers double the ferrys capacity when it capsized close to the pier on ukara island on thursday according to reports on state media1 davita ngenda an elderly woman in ukara had already received bad news1 my son is among the bodies recovered she said weeping. he had gone with his wife but she has not been found yet. my god what did i do to deserve this1 sebastian john a teacher said such tragedies had become part of life for those living on the lake1 since my birth people have gone to their deaths on this lake but what are we to do we did not choose to be born here we have nowhere to go he said1 it remains unclear how many people are still missing1 tanzanias electrical mechanical and services agency which is responsible for ferry services said it was unknown how many passengers were aboard the mv nyerere1 the ageing ferry whose hull and propellers were all that remained visible after it overturned was also carrying cargo including sacks of maize bananas and cement when it capsized around 50 metres 55 yards from ukara dock1 tanzanian president john magufuli on friday ordered the arrest of the management of mv nyerere the ferry that capsized in lake victoria as the death toll climbed to 131 and rescue workers pressed on with the search to find scores more people feared drowned1 the countrys opposition has accused the government of negligence1

44 die as Tanzanian ferry capsizes in Lake Victoria
News & Trends •
the cause of the accident was not immediately clear but overloading is frequently to blame for such incidents2 a statement from tanzanias electrical mechanical and services agency said it was unknown how many passengers were aboard the mv nyerere1 it is feared that a significant number have lost their lives said george nyamaha the head of ukerewe district council of which the island is a part1 regional governor john mongella said late thursday the toll had reached 44 while 37 others had been rescued though some of the survivors were in a very bad condition1 he added that rescue operations had been suspended and would continue on friday morning1 there were more than a hundred passengers on board the vessel when it sank thursday afternoon near ukara island in the southeast of the vast lake which also extends into uganda and kenya a local official said1 the ferry was also carrying cargo including sacks of maize and cement when it overturned close to the dock1 at least 44 people died and scores were missing after a tanzanian ferry mv nyerere capsized in victoria africas largest lake with a desperate search for survivors set to resume in tanzania on friday1 president john magufulis spokesman gerson msigwa also said on state television tbc 1 that the death toll stood at more than 401 with a surface area of 70000 square kilometres 27000 square miles oval-shaped lake victoria is roughly the size of ireland1 capsizes are not uncommon in the massive lake and the number of fatalities is often high due to a shortage of life jackets and the fact that many people in the region cannot swim1