Tanzanian President John Magufuli has ordered the arrest of the management of a ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria. The tragedy has claimed more than 130 lives with scores still missing.
Saturday September 22, 2018
Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday ordered the arrest of those responsible for a packed ferry sinking on Lake Victoria.
The death toll has climbed to more than 130. That figure could rise with scores still missing and trapped in the overturned ferry.
It is unknown how many passengers were aboard MV Nyerere but some estimates suggested there were more than 300 people on board, far above the capacity of 101 people.
Authorities were able to rescue 37 people after the passenger ferry went down just meters from the dock on Thursday.
"This is a great disaster for our nation," President John Magufuli said in an address to the nation on state-owned broadcaster TBC. "We have directed that all individuals who were involved in causing this accident to be arrested."
"I have information that some have been arrested including the captain who, I am told, was not on board."
'Untrained' person at helm?
Magufuli said the captain had left the steering to someone who wasn't properly trained, The Citizen newspaper reported.
The Tanzanian leader, who declared four days of mourning, urged calm in the East African country which has a history of deadly maritime disasters. At least 500 people were killed when a ferry capsized on Lake Victoria in 1996.
Magufuli said on Friday that initial investigations showed that the cause of the accident was overloading, The Citizen reported.
He said even the cargo on board exceeded the 25 tons for which the vessel was certified.
ap/msh (Reuters, AP, AFP)