UGANDA: 29 die as party boat capsizes

At least 29 people are now known to have died after a cruise boat carrying party revellers capsized on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police say. The vessel was carrying close to 100 people when it sank on Saturday near Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Ugandan media named a number of well-known people said to be on the boat, […]

At least 29 people are now known to have died after a cruise boat carrying party revellers capsized on Lake Victoria, Ugandan police say.

The vessel was carrying close to 100 people when it sank on Saturday near Uganda’s capital, Kampala.

Ugandan media named a number of well-known people said to be on the boat, adding that the prince of a traditional kingdom had survived.

Lake Victoria sees regular accidents, often involving overcrowded vessels.

Saturday’s accident occurred off Uganda’s Mukono district.

Deputy police spokesman Patrick Onyango told Reuters news agency: “The boat was overloaded and secondly there was bad weather.”

More than 20 people have been rescued from the water, police say, but an unknown number remain missing.