WEB DESK
The death toll from a crowded ferry capsizing in Lake Victoria in Tanzania, rose to more than 200 yesterday. Rescuers found only one survivor from the disaster as scores of victims identified by grieving relatives.
Divers continued their grim search in the waters around the upturned hull on the shore of Ukara Island, where the ferry was due to dock when it lurched over and sank on Thursday. The Tanzanian Transport Minister Isack Kamwelwe told press conference that 209 people have lost their lives while 172 bodies have been identified by relatives.
MV Nyerere, the ageing vessel, 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 about 50 metres from Ukara dock.
Tanzanian President John Magufuli has declared four days of national mourning and said the government would cover the funeral expenses of the victims.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but overloading is frequently to blame for such incidents.