World Brief
At least 200 people were killed after a ferry traveling through Tanzania capsized Saturday morning—considered one of the worst maritime disasters in Africa in recent years, according to local media reports.
The MV Spice Islander vessel sank as it was traveling between Unguja and Pemba, the main islands of the Zanzibar region, located off the coast of Tanzania in the Indian Ocean.
Zanzibar First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad, said that the ferry likely was carrying more than 800 people, which he notes is far beyond the approved capacity of 610, reported The Citizen daily newspaper. There are still more bodies to recover, which is underway, he added.
“In short, this ferry sank even before it left the Unguja port,” he said. Hamad said he will order an investigation into the accident’s cause.
Since the accident, Tanzania has begun three days of nationwide mourning for the victims of the disaster.
A local rescue worker, Ali Ramadhan, told the Oman Daily Observer that the vessel flipped over and “there could be more bodies trapped inside the hull of the ship with the cargo.” He added that it is “normal” for ferries in the region to allow more people on board than approved.
