Zanzibar ferry sinks with 600 aboard
A fisherman casts his net in Pemba Island, Zanzibar. President Kibaki condoled Zanzibar following a ferry tragedy that left 163 people dead September 10, 2011. FILE
ZANZIBAR
An overloaded ferry carrying 600 people sank in off Zanzibar, but at least 250 have been rescued, an official in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous archipelago said on Saturday.
“We managed to rescue 250 people so far including 20 children (but) rescue operations are hampered by a lack of equipment,” deputy secretary of state for infrastructure and communication Issa Gavu told AFP.
“Navy and police rescue teams have been sent to the scene,” he added.
Private Tanzanian radio station Capital said 51 people had died in the disaster and 269 were injured, but there was no immediate official confirmation of this toll.
The MV Spice Island which was travelling between Zanzibar’s main island Unguja and Pemba, two of the three islands that make up Zanzibar, had left Unguja around 9pm (1900 GMT) and sank four hours later.
The exact number of passengers on this type of ferry is often difficult to establish as no reliable passenger lists are kept.
