At least 190 people died on Saturday when a ferry capsized off the popular tourist archipelago of Zanzibar, a minister said.
Zanzibar’s state minister for emergencies Mohammed Aboud said the death toll from the disaster had increased to 190. His earlier estimate put the number of dead at 163. Aboud said rescue workers had so far saved 610 people, but the rescue effort had been suspended because of nightfall.
The minister’s updated figures indicate that over 800 people were on board the stricken ferry, including families returning home after the holidays to celebrate the end of Ramadan. Officials said earlier that around 600 people were believed to be on board, but the exact number of passengers on this type of ferry was often difficult to establish as no reliable passenger lists were kept.
Some survivors had arrived back in Stone Town, the main port of the archipelago, with an emergency first aid centre set up in the port to treat those arriving by rescue speed boat from the capsized ferry. “It was terrifying, people were screaming and shouting in the dark,” said Aisha Mohammed, aged seven. “I can’t find my mummy, I lost her when we were all in the water,” she added, after being picked up by a rescue boat. Other survivors angrily accused port and ferry officials of overloading the boat.
“We were shouting at the captain and at the people in the port even before we left that the boat was too full – it was packed with people and with cargo,” said Zaid Amour, a 50-year-old survivor. “This was not an accident but is the fault of those who did not stop the boat from leaving when it was clear to passengers it was not safe,” he added. The government pledged to do all it could to help. “This is a national tragedy, so let us join hands together over this,” Zanzibar’s President Ali Mohamed Shein said, before announcing that the archipelago would observe three days of national mourning from Sunday.
“The government of Zanzibar will do everything that it can to support the victims of this terrible event,” he said.
