Kenya on alert at the Coast for bodies from ill-fated Tanzania ferry

Kenyan authorities have been put on the alert to watch out for any bodies from the ill-fated ferry that may wash ashore in Mombasa.

The Zanzibari minister chairing a committee handling the search and retrieval efforts said similar alerts had been sent to Pemba Island and Tanga.

President Jakaya Kikwete has ordered the use of DNA testing to identify people who have lost their lives in the tragedy which claimed about 200 people.

President Kikwete also thanked the residents of Nungwi village, for the assistance they rendered to the victims of the ferry which sunk on Friday night, shortly after leaving Zanzibar port with more than 800 people on board. (READ: Zanzibar ferry sinks with 600 aboard)

President Kikwete gave the order on DNA use on Sunday when he visited a centre set at Nungwi village for receiving the bodies and survivors.

Out of the 197 who died, 157 have already been identified by relatives and 39 buried at Kama area, on the outskirts of Zanzibar town.

At the same time, Mr Ali Aboud Mohammed, the minister for State in the Second Vice-President’s Office, said the government does not know the owner of mv Spice Islander I that sank with more than 800 people on board.

He said details of the ferry are with the Zanzibar Port Authority. (IN PICTURES: Zanzibar ferry tragedy)

“We (the government) are not aware who owned the ship... it is the Port Authority which is supposed to know such details,” he said.

The government’s focus, Mr Mohammed told a press briefing, was to handle the disaster and, any other issues would be dealt with later.

The Zanzibar and Union governments, he said, would put measures in place to prevent similar disasters in the future.

The Union government had already released about TSh300 million (about Sh15 million) to help Zanzibar deal with the problem.

Other institutions which have helped Zanzibar include the National Social Security Fund which offered TSh13 million.