All passengers aboard the ferry that capsized in L.Victoria rescued

A massive operation that led to rescuing of 200 passengers that were on board a ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria on Saturday 2.May.2020. /The Standard.

Kenya Red Cross said on Saturday that all passengers aboard the ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria were rescued.

The water bus has a capacity of at least 200 passengers and was sailing from Mageta Island to Usenge in Bondo Sub county.

The county commissioner in the region saidthe ferry which was halfsubmerged in water could be seen being sweptaway by strong wavestowards Uhanya beach.

According to Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), there are about 40 water transport vessels accredited to transport passengers within the Kenyan waters of the lake. These include water buses, ferries and small boats known as choppers.

But the five ferries with a capacity of between 80 to 250 passengers, water buses carrying between 60 and 150 people, and choppers carrying between 20 to 40 only ply major routes.

The accredited vessels are however not enough to serve the over 100 routes with about 2, 000 beaches within the Kenyan waters, a situation which has seen hundreds of unauthorized operators venture into the business.

SOURCE(s) Kenya Red Cross, The Standard.