Five drown, 17 rescued as boat capsizes in Lake Victoria
The ill-fated boat that capsized in Lake Victoria on Friday at Magombe, Budalang'i Constituency. PHOTO | GAITANO PESA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
Five people drowned when their boat capsized in Lake Victoria, Budalang’i Constituency, on Thursday night.
Three of the bodies had been pulled out of the water by midday Friday as the search for the others intensified.
17 OTHERS
Seventeen other people, who were aboard the vessel, were also rescued.
Port Victoria police chief Fredrick Kagari said the boat heading to Musoma Beach in Tanzania from Nandekhe fishing village lost control after it was hit by heavy winds.
A relative of one of the five fishermen who perished in ill-fated boat that capsized in Lake Victoria on Friday at Magombe, Budalangi Constituency. PHOTO | GAITANO PESA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
“We can confirm we lost five fishermen. One was from Magombe in Bunyala South, one from Butula and another one from Mumias,” he said.
“The boat had also a Ugandan from Tororo. The search for the remaining two is ongoing.”
JACKETS
Bunyala South MCA Steven Omendi advised fishermen to always be on the look-out whenever there are slight changes in the weather pattern in the lake.
Relatives of five fishermen who perished in ill-fated boat that capsized in Lake Victoria on Friday at Magombe, Budalangi Constituency. PHOTO | GAITANO PESA | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
“Kenya Maritime and the county government gave us some life jackets but they were not enough to cater for all fishermen,” he said.
“I call upon the owners of water vessels in the area to take an initiative of also equipping the crew with these jackets rather than waiting for donations.”
