Nyerere (ship, 2004)

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The islands of Ukara and Ukerewe are located in the north of the Tanzanian region of Mwanza, which is marked in red

The Nyerere is a ferry that sailed on Lake Victoria in Tanzania . It was built in 2004. It is named with the family name of Julius Nyerere , the first president of independent Tanzania, who ruled from 1962 to 1985. Their capacity was 100 people and three motor vehicles. The ship also transported freight up to a total weight of 25 tons. The ferry ran eight times a day between the islands of Ukara and Ukerewe . The ship is owned and operated by the state-owned Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronic Services Agency (TEMESA). The Nyerere had been completely overhauled by TEMESA a few months before the accident and had also received two new marine engines.

Capsizing

The Nyerere capsized on September 20, 2018 on her one-hour voyage from Bugolora on the north bank of Ukerewe to the island of Ukara about 50 meters from the Bwisya jetty on Ukara. The ferry was clearly overloaded due to the market taking place in Bugorora that day with more than 400 people. After the accident, 224 dead were rescued and at least 40 people were saved. Police and army divers as well as private boats and fishermen took part in the rescue measures.

After the accident, the captain of the ferry was arrested. He hadn't been on board himself, but had left the helm to someone else.

In Tanzania, a four-day state mourning was ordered because of the accident .

The sinking of the Nyerere is one of a number of similar catastrophes in the region, including the sinking of the Bukoba on Lake Victoria in 1996 with more than 800 fatalities, which is considered to be one of the worst ferry gaps in the 20th century in terms of the number of fatalities.

See also

  • Bukoba , a ferry that also sank on Lake Victoria

credentials

  1. ↑ a b Portrait of the ship , temesa.go.tz (Swahili), accessed on September 27, 2018
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Lake Victoria Tanzania ferry disaster: Divers hunt for survivors , BBC, September 21, 2018
  3. ↑ Tanzania ferry death toll rises to 224, ship's managers detained. Reuters, September 23, 2018
  4. ↑ https://www.channelstv.com/2018/09/21/tanzania-declares-four-days-of-national-mourning-over-ferry-tragedy/