Fifteen people drowned after a boat capsized in Lake Victoria, about 30 km from Mbita Town.

Five other people were rescued by locals and police.

Mbita OCPD Cherono Githinji said the boat was overloaded and capsized after being hit by a storm. The passengers were travelling from Sena, in Mfangano Island to Mbita.

"The boat was overloaded and when the storm struck, it capsized. We managed to rescue five. We are yet to retrieve the bodies of the eight," said Ms Githinji, of the incident that occurred Monday at around 2pm.

Fishermen alerted the police about the accident.

A team of police officers arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later, and were assisted by locals to rescue the survivors who were rushed to Mbita District Hospital, some of them in critical condition.

The OCPD said the passengers did not have life jackets, exposing themselves to danger.

Last night divers were still trying to retrieve the bodies.

One of the rescuers, a fisherman, said the victims were construction workers.

"They were on their way back from Mfangano Island after construction work at a school, when the accident occurred," said George Ouma.

Boat accidents are rampant along Africa’s largest fresh-water lake.

According to police statistics, at least one person dies daily in the lake in one of the three countries sharing the resource. The countries are Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Safety rules ignored

In July, ten Ugandans died after a boat they were travelling in, capsized.

And despite the enactment of Lake Victoria Transport Bill, into law, two years ago, the deaths have not reduced.

The law stipulates a number of safety measures. Among them is mandatory use of safety gadgets, for travellers and fishermen, but implementation has been a tall order.

Three years ago, 30 Ugandans died after an overloaded boat capsized in the lake. Most of the victims were traders taking goods to the market.

More than 800 people drowned in mid 1996, in the lake’s worst shipping disaster when a Tanzanian ferry capsized in Mwanza, after travelling from Bukoba.

Among the victims were students travelling home after the end of first term in school.

The original article can be viewed HERE

Nicholas Anyuor, The Standard

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