Dozens of people were feared drowned on Wednesday after a ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police said.
“We’ve got information that a boat capsized there at dawn today [Wednesday]. Onlookers are telling us that the figure of those on board was about 60,” Kampala police spokesperson Idi Ssenkumbi said.
“The police marine unit is on the scene. So far, we have rescued three people alive but we’re not sure yet how many have been killed,” he added.
The ferry was sailing from islands on Africa’s largest lake to the Ugandan city of Entebbe.
Boats capsize frequently on Lake Victoria, which is the size of Ireland, due to weather conditions that can make its waters as rough as open sea and antiquated poorly maintained ships.
Hundreds of people have died in similar accidents in recent years.
The deadliest such accident occurred in May 1996 when a ferry, the Bukoba, sank on its way to Mwanza in Tanzania, killing about 800 people. — Sapa-AFP