Families of missing people camp at Mutima beach
What you need to know:
- By the time the operation was called off last evening, no more body had been retrieved.
- By last evening, the number of recovered bodies remained at 32 but some are still feared to be in the water. The number of passengers aboard the ill-fated vessel is believed to have been more than 100.
Kampala. Families yesterday camped at Mutima Beach in Mukono District waiting for the boat wreckage to be removed and hopefully recover the bodies of their missing relatives.
Ms Harriet Nakimbugwe, the aunt of missing Makerere University student Eron Ndagire, 23, and a resident of Kitende on Entebbe Road, said they suspect their daughter was among the dead in the Saturday boat accident on Lake Victoria.
“I last heard from my niece on Friday when she told me she was going to the lakeshores for a weekend,” Ms Nakimbugwe said.
She said when she heard of the accident on Saturday, she called Eron on phone but it has been was off to-date.
“I kept on trying [to call her] on her phone but in vain, I informed all relatives who turned up at Mulago hospital to search for the bodies brought in on Sunday and Monday but her body was not among them,” Ms Nakimbugwe recounted.
Ndagiire was a first-year student at Makerere University pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication.
Relatives of Sylivia Namutebi also turned up at the beach although they were not willing to speak to the media.
The Director of Police Operations, Mr Asuman Mugenyi, said by last evening, the boat wreckage had been pulled out of the lake bed and was lying on its keel.
“The boat is now underneath the water although some parts are submerged and the intention is to bring it out offshore. A joint team of police and UPDF marine units, Ministry of Works with the help of MV Kalangala have today managed to pull out the wreckage,” Mr Mugenyi said.
He said they were trying to drag it out by a chain link and tractor.
By yesterday, other families were looking for missing people; Peter Kakooza from Masaka District, Sylvia Namutebi from Nakisunga, Godfrey Musisi from Kabalagala and Andrew Ssenyonga from Kireka.
“Our mission is to remove the wreckage and when it is out, we shall send in divers that can move in and find out if there are bodies,” Mr Mugenyi said.
He said if the wreckage is removed, it will be inspected by engineers but if it stays in the lake, it will be dismantled.
By the time the operation was called off last evening, no more body had been retrieved.
Mr Mugenyi also recognised fisherman Bosco Owecho as a hero for losing his life to rescue the victims.
“The young man had rescued the first trip and had gone for the second one. He had a good heart of saving others and people should recognise him by contributing towards his family,” he said.
Background
By last evening, the number of recovered bodies remained at 32 but some are still feared to be in the water. The number of passengers aboard the ill-fated vessel is believed to have been more than 100.
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