DEATH TOLL OF LAKE ALBERT BOAT DISASTER CLIMBS OVER 100
(Posted 25th March 2014)
More gruesome details are emerging from the shores of Lake Albert, following another boat accident as reported here two days ago.
The latest information now speaks of the lake boat having carried well over 200 passengers, a number confirmed by several survivors apparently, and the authorities, by the time of uploading this article, have confirmed that they have now recovered 108 bodies, many of them children, and that the search is still continuing as more are reported missing.
This would make it arguably Uganda’s worst lake disaster in recent memory and puts to shame the talk of regulations and rules boat operators have to abide by in order to remain licensed. ‘There is no way that boat could have had enough life vests for all those passengers. The tourist boats on the Nile in Murchisons, the tourist boats on Kazinga Channel, the tourist boats on Lake Victoria, they all insist passengers put on a life vest. Such disasters make us look like we value the life of some more than the life of others. Life vests save lives in fact and should be made mandatory on each boat. It is high time that law enforcement shifts focus to enforcing such lifesaving laws and not beat and tear gas political demonstrators, which by the way gives us as bad a name now as those ludicrous laws parliament passed recently. There are local councils on those landing sites and they surely take money through fees and charges, no? Boats should have to display the number of passengers they are allowed to carry just like busses. Inspectors must make sure that this number is not exceeded and that every passenger gets a life vest from the boatman. They are saying those were Congolese refugees who wanted to go back home but that is no excuse to allow them to overcrowd the boat. At least they got the boatman and he will be charged with manslaughter a hundred fold and more for his crime of greed. He overloaded for money and the loss of life as a result is terrible. We are in the news again for all the wrong reasons’ ranted a regular source from the tourism fraternity in Kampala when discussing the latest breaking news.
While no formal travel warnings have been issued for foreign visitors intent to explore the lakes and rivers in Uganda, caution is nevertheless quietly being counselled to those seeking advice, in particular for back packers wanting to travel to the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria, where, when the main ferries are out of service as is often the case, only lake boats then offer a way to get there and back again. Advice here, as was given before, is always to insist on a life vest, wear it properly and be vocal when the boatman steers the boat into a storm or appears to be navigating in such a manner that the boat takes on water. Safe travels to those who cross the waters and condolences to friends and families of those who perished in the latest tragedy.
2 Responses
Why has this tragedy not been reported to the international press? Well done for your efforts in highlighting this. I fear that until the International community hear about things like this, nothing will change unfortunately.
The news in recent days were dominated by MH370, Crimean events and other ‘more important’ news but with the death toll rising now to over 100 the international media are now catching on to it it seems, perhaps also triggered by eTN having featured the first article and Google News absorbing it into their daily news broadcast.
Thanks for reading my blog.
W.