Lake Victoria tragedy: One more body recovered as more families still search for missing relatives

Ukara. The death toll in the sunken ferry rose to 225 by 8:00AM (East African time) on Monday after one more body was recovered.

“One more body of a child was discovered today….I will remain with you here as the government continues with rescue operations…For the bodies that will be recovered, we will use DNA tests to know their relatives,” Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told Ukara residents on Monday.

Meanwhile, several people from various areas within the Lake Zone are still flocking to Ukara Island in search of their missing relatives, five days since the ferry capsized.

MV Nyerere ferry, traveling between the Ukara and Bugolora Islets, capsized on Thursday at 13:48 hours about 50 metres from the berth as it was about to dock.

A spot check by The Citizen reveals that some people have travelled all the way from Dar es Salaam as soon as they got news that the ferry had sunk and that some of their relatives were travelling in it during the fateful day.

"I arrived at Ukara yesterday morning from Dar es Salaam with the hope that I could collect the body of by brother but as we are talking, I have not been able to see it….I am confident that he was in the sunken vessel but he is neither one of the 41 who were rescued and nor the 225 whose bodies have been recovered from the water,” said Mr Julius Mwema.

Like Julius Mwema, Thomas Mgendi, who hails from Tarime district, has also been at Ukara since Friday but he has not been able to see the body of his son being recovered.

"If it happens that I get the body, I will not let it be buried here, I will take the body home for the last ceremony," he explained.