At least 30 drown in Uganda Christmas drama on Lake Albert
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| © Provided by AFP |
"There was a party on the boat, the passengers were dancing and others were drunk. The boat was overloaded with 45 people, all members of the football team and local fans," police commander John Rutagira told AFP.
"The water was calm but the problem came in when the merrymaking team and fans tilted on one side of the boat... It capsized killing about 30 people," he added.
Police officers working with local fishermen managed to rescue 15 of the revellers, who were heading from the village of Kaweibanda in the western Buliisa District to watch a friendly Christmas Day match in Hoima District, Rutagira said.
The accident was the second major disaster on Uganda's lakes in three days. On Friday, about 20 people perished in similar circumstances on Lake Victoria.
Fatal accidents are frequent on Ugandan waters. Last November, 10 people drowned in Lake Albert on the country's western shore.
Ugandan football players and fans drown on Lake Albert as 30 die when party boat capsizes
At least 30 Ugandan members of a village football team and their fans drowned on Sunday when their boat capsized on Lake Albert during a party, police said Monday.
Despite calm conditions the group, who were drinking and dancing on board, managed to capsize their boat.
And although police managed to rescue 15 people with the help of local fisherman, at least 30 did not survive.
'There was a party on the boat, the passengers were dancing and others were drunk,' police commander John Rutagira said.
'The boat was overloaded with 45 people, all members of the football team and local fans.'
'The water was calm but the problem came in when the merrymaking team and fans tilted on one side of the boat... It capsized killing about 30 people,' he added.
Police officers working with local fishermen managed to rescue 15 of the revellers, who were heading from the village of Kaweibanda in the western Buliisa District to watch a friendly Christmas Day match in Hoima District, Rutagira said.
The accident was the second major disaster on Uganda's lakes in three days. On Friday, about 20 people perished in similar circumstances on Lake Victoria.
Fatal accidents are frequent on Ugandan waters. Last November, 10 people drowned in Lake Albert on the country's western shore.
Uganda: 30 drown after boat carrying football team capsizes on Lake Albert
At least 30 people have drowned after a boat carrying a football team and their fans capsized on Lake Albert in Uganda, police say.
The overcrowded vessel was carrying some 45 people. Police say the boat became unbalanced when too many passengers moved to one side.
Nine bodies have been recovered, and 15 people have been rescued, reports say.
Boat accidents are fairly common on Lake Albert and in other parts of Africa.
Vessels are often packed with too many people and goods, and in a poor state.
Police commander John Rutagira told AFP news agency that most passengers were drunk by the time they embarked on the boat.
The group, from Buliisa District, was on its way to a Christmas day football match in Hoima District, singing songs and blowing trumpets and whistles.
Fishermen have helped authorities on the rescue operation.
In November, 10 people drowned in Lake Albert on the country's western shore.
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