Five people have drowned on Lake Victoria after the boat they were traveling in capsized.
The victims reportedly boarded an overloaded boat from Kirongo landing site in Buvuma district heading to Kiyindi landing site in Buikwe district on Thursday. They have been identified as Kabenge, the boat operator, Karisimati (a butcher at Kirongo trading center), Nalongo a silverfish trader, Tom a dealer in fish maw, and another unidentified woman.
An eyewitness Elisa Mukisa, says the boat was loaded with about five cows, one sack of silverfish, and one motorcycle.
According to the preliminary findings by the police, the boat operator hired it from one Omoro, a resident of Kiyindi town before sailing to Kirongo to load it with cows.
It is alleged that the boat operator was advised to offload some of the cows before setting off but insisted on transporting them.
According to Hellen Butoto, the Ssezibwa Regional Police Spokesperson, they have so far retrieved the body of Nalongo and the search for other bodies is ongoing.
Last month, five people died after their boat capsized in Lake Victoria in Buvuma District.
The boat, which was reportedly overloaded with a non-specified number of people broke into two pieces and capsized shortly before docking at Zinga Islands.
Story by URN