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Five dead, several injured as boat capsizes in Lake Victoria

Source: Xinhua   2017-03-17 22:32:30            

NAIROBI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people are reported to have died while several others sustained injuries when a boat capsized on Thursday night in Lake Victoria.

Kenyan media reported that seventeen people were aboard the ill-fated boat that capsized while en route to Musoma in Tanzania after it was hit by heavy storms.

According to Fredrick Kagari, an administrator in western Kenya, the loaded boat swerved and later capsized as heavy storms swept across Africa's largest fresh water lake.

"We can confirm we lost five fishermen when the boat capsized in Lake Victoria. Three bodies have already been recovered and the search for the rest is ongoing," said Kagari.

He revealed that both Kenyan and Ugandan fishermen were traveling in the ill fated boat when it capsized.

Kagari added that an elite team of divers has been dispatched to search for missing fishermen.

Boat accidents have escalated in Lake Victoria waters despite enhanced patrols by security forces and regular training of drivers and crew on safety.

Overloading, natural storms and faulty engines are to blame for boat accidents that have claimed many lives in Lake Victoria.

At the same time, water hyacinth that has carpeted a huge swathe of the shared fresh water body has also complicated movement of fishing boats and large commercial vessels.

Editor: yan
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Five dead, several injured as boat capsizes in Lake Victoria

Source: Xinhua 2017-03-17 22:32:30

NAIROBI, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Five people are reported to have died while several others sustained injuries when a boat capsized on Thursday night in Lake Victoria.

Kenyan media reported that seventeen people were aboard the ill-fated boat that capsized while en route to Musoma in Tanzania after it was hit by heavy storms.

According to Fredrick Kagari, an administrator in western Kenya, the loaded boat swerved and later capsized as heavy storms swept across Africa's largest fresh water lake.

"We can confirm we lost five fishermen when the boat capsized in Lake Victoria. Three bodies have already been recovered and the search for the rest is ongoing," said Kagari.

He revealed that both Kenyan and Ugandan fishermen were traveling in the ill fated boat when it capsized.

Kagari added that an elite team of divers has been dispatched to search for missing fishermen.

Boat accidents have escalated in Lake Victoria waters despite enhanced patrols by security forces and regular training of drivers and crew on safety.

Overloading, natural storms and faulty engines are to blame for boat accidents that have claimed many lives in Lake Victoria.

At the same time, water hyacinth that has carpeted a huge swathe of the shared fresh water body has also complicated movement of fishing boats and large commercial vessels.

[Editor: huaxia]
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