The death toll in a ferry capsize in Lake Victoria climbed to 126 on Friday, as Tanzanian rescue workers pressed on with the search to find scores more people feared drowned.
The MV Nyerere may have been carrying as many as 200 passengers — double the ferry’s capacity — when it capsized close to the pier on Ukara Island on Thursday, according to reports on state media.
Witnesses reached by AFP said the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock. The death toll rose to 126 by mid-afternoon Friday, according to Tanzania’s transport Minister.
“We are sad to report there are 126 dead,” Isack Kamwele told state television, adding that a further update would be provided at 6pm local time.
Mwanza governor John Mongella had earlier said the number of survivors was 40, but it was unclear whether any new survivors had been found since rescue operations resumed with police and army divers on Friday morning.
