At least six people have been confirmed to have drowned in Lake Victoria. According to Police, Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, two boat accidents occurred on Lake Victoria.
Patrick Onyango, the Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson said the exact time of the accidents is yet to be specified.
Onyango said that the first incident involved a boat traveling from Kasi islands to Katosi in Mukono district.
“On board; were an unidentified woman, a man, and a load of foodstuff. Due to overloading and bad weather conditions, the boat capsized. Tragically, the woman drowned, while the man was rescued by fishmongers,” he said.
The police mouthpiece said that the second incident involved a transport boat heading from Kiseba islands in Kalangala district to Katosi landing site in Mukono.
It is alleged that the boat was carrying 11 people and cargo consisting of 100 bags of charcoal, 40 bags of silver fish, rice and personal belongings.
The boat is reported to have capsized between Jana and Kimmi landing sites.
“Fortunately, six individuals were rescued by another transport boat, but five people to date remain missing. Police Marines are actively conducting a search and rescue operation in the waters to locate the missing individuals, whether alive or deceased,” he said.
Onyango says that the primary causes of both accidents were determined to be overloading and adverse weather conditions.
In light of these incidents, Police appeals to all travelers who utilize water transport to prioritize their safety by wearing life jackets and refraining from overloading their vessels.