At least 20 dead as boat capsizes on Lake Victoria in Uganda

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - At least twenty people died on Wednesday after a boat capsized in Ugandan waters on Lake Victoria on Wednesday, police said.

Patrick Onyango, a police officer, said in a statement that the number of people on the boat that capsized was 34, adding that 20 of them have been confirmed dead.

Onyango said that nine people have also been rescued.

“The boat was carrying bags of charcoal, fresh foods and silver fish,” he said, adding that the cause of the incident is attributed to “overloading and bad weather.”

He said a search operation is underway to find five missing people.

John Wandera, a fisherman who was among those who rescued the victims, told Anadolu that the boat capsized due to strong winds.

Boat accidents are common in Uganda.

On July 5, five people died when their boat capsized on the same lake in Mukono district.