Tanzania ferry disaster: Death toll reaches 131

Nairobi: The death toll from the capsizing of a Tanzanian ferry on Lake Victoria had climbed to at least 131 people and could rise further, officials said.

Tanzania President John Magufuli on Friday ordered the arrest of the management of the capsized ferry, MV Nyerere.

The ferry may have been carrying almost 200 passengers, which is double its capacity, when it capsized close to the Ukara Island on Thursday, according to reports on state media.

Witnesses said the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock.

Magufuli referred to negligence as the cause of the accident and said he had ordered the arrest of those involved in the ferry’s management, during a speech on TBC One public television.

The President also declared four days of national mourning beginning from Saturday.

The Mishap took place when the ferry, managed by Tanzania’s Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency, had been traveling between two islands  Ukara and Ukerewe,  sources said.

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