The Death Toll Has Reached More Than 100 In Tanzania's Lake Victoria Ferry Disaster
The number is expected to climb as more bodies are discovered.
Sadness has swept across Tanzania, as the death toll of the capsized MV Nyere Ferry has reached at least 100, reports BBC Africa. The number is expected to rise as more bodies are being discovered.
Spokeswoman for the Tanzania Red Cross, Godfrida Jola, told the New York Times on Friday, that 94 bodies had been discovered so far, 54 women and 40 men. She said that 40 people had been rescued and are in critical condition.
It is feared that up to 200 people may have drowned in the accident, as rescue operations continue.
The ferry is believed to have tipped over after passengers moved to one side when preparing to exit the vessel, causing it to shift dramatically in weight. Though official numbers have not been determined, the vessel is thought to have been carrying up to 400 passengers on Thursday despite having a capacity of 100, reports BBC Africa. The ferry is known to be particularly busy on Thursdays which is market day in Bugorora on Ukerewe Island, where the ferry was returning from.
Uncertainly looms for many Tanzanians as families await to hear the fate of relatives who may have travelled on the vessel. The government says it will launch an investigation into what caused the accident once rescue efforts have finished.
Back in 2012, at least 145 people died after a ferry sank while carrying passengers from the island of Zanzibar back to the mainland and 1996, an estimated 800 people drowned after the MV Bukoba sank in Lake Victoria.
The international community has been sending condolences to the families of those lost in the wreck since yesterday.
