30 killed, 60 more feared drowned

Thirty people drowned and more than 60 were feared dead after a pleasure boat sank in Lake Victoria, Ugandan police said yesterday, in the latest such incident on Africa's largest body of water.

"Thirty bodies have been recovered and 27 people rescued," said police spokesperson Zura Ganyana, adding the boat had sunk 150 metres (yards) from the lakeshore.

"According to one of the survivors there were more than 90 people on board," said Asuman Mugenyi, director of operations for the Uganda police.

Witnesses claimed the vessel may have been rushed back into service following a renovation in order to take advantage of the profitable end-of-year party season. The boat's owner and his wife were among the dead.

The boat sank in bad weather on Saturday. Boat rides, with drinking, dancing and music, are popular on the lake.

James Matovo, a 26-year-old youth leader at the Buzindere fish landing site who saw the boat capsize on Saturday evening, said it had been "cold and very windy" when the boat pitched over.

He said that rescue services were slow to respond. Instead, local fishermen went to help.

Matovo said some of the rescuers also drowned as a result.

Lake Victoria is the site of many boat disasters. With a surface area of 70,000 square kilometres (27,000 square miles), the oval-shaped lake is roughly the size of Ireland and is shared by Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.