Lake Victoria Boat Tragedy: Seven People Still Missing as Death Toll Climbs to Four

The death toll in Tuesday evening’s Lake Victoria boat tragedy has risen to four.

This comes after two more bodies were retrieved from the lake on Wednesday as the search for the seven missing persons continues.

The ill-fated vessel was heading to Ndhiru Beach in Mbita from Pier Beach within Homa Bay town when it capsized.

Eight passengers were rescued on Tuesday evening and rushed to Homa Bay sub-county hospital for treatment.

The boat is reported to have capsized shortly after leaving the beach over suspected overloading of passengers and luggage, including bags of cement, timber, pieces of iron sheets, and foodstuff.

The seven passengers who are unaccounted for were among the 19 occupants of the boat that sunk about 500 meters from the beach.

A temporary command center consisting of a multi-agency team from the Kenya Maritime Authority, Kenya Coast Guard Services, Beach Management Units, and the Homa Bay County Government Department of Disaster has been established at the beach.

Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan said the boat was overloaded with passengers and luggage beyond its recommended capacity, which might have caused the accident.

The boat coxswain Felix Ouma, who survived the tragedy, blamed bad weather and water hyacinth for the accident. Investigations are underway to establish the actual cause of the accident.