Boat Tragedy on Lake Victoria Leaves 5 Dead, Search Continues For Missing

Ssezibwa police are investigating after a boat carrying an unknown number of passengers broke apart near Zinga Island on Lake Victoria, killing five people.

The tragic incident occurred on January 1st at around 7 p.m. as the boat was attempting to dock at Zinga Island after departing from Zigunga. According to police spokesperson Hellen Butoto, the ill-fated boat was reportedly overloaded when it broke into two pieces just off the coast.

Five victims have been identified so far: Bukenya Monday, 50; Nantamba Sissa, 7; Najjita Lydia, 16; Sabano Night, 9; and Namuwaya Angel, between 8 and 10 years old. Their bodies were recovered from the scene and transported to Bugaya Hospital.

Butoto confirmed that 14 other passengers survived the accident and were also taken to Bugaya for medical treatment. However, an unconfirmed number of people remain missing. Marine police continue to search the waters around Zinga Island in hopes of finding any additional victims.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing the overloaded boat break apart as it attempted to dock, but the exact number of passengers onboard remains unknown. Police are investigating to determine how many individuals may still be unaccounted for following the tragedy.

The accident serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers of overloading small passenger boats on Lake Victoria. The search continues for any other victims of the New Year’s Day boat disaster near Zinga Island.