The number of people confirmed dead after an overcrowded ferry capsized on Lake Victoria has increased to 131, Tanzania's transport and communications minister said Friday.

The death toll could rise further, Isack Kamwelwe said from the scene of Thursday's tragedy.</s>KAMPALA, Uganda — The death toll rose above 100 on Friday after a ferry capsized and sank on Lake Victoria, Tanzania state radio reported.

Retuers reported the disaster happened just a few yards from the dock on Ukerewe, the lake's biggest island.

The toll is likely to rise further as search and rescue operations continue after Thursday afternoon's disaster, John Mongella, commissioner for the Mwanza region, told the Associated Press.

At least 37 people were rescued from the sunken ferry as of Thursday night, when rescue teams called off their mission overnight.

It is not clear how many people were on board. Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded.

The passenger ferry MV Nyerere was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora when it sank, according to the government agency in charge of servicing the vessels.

No foreigners have been found among the dead, Mwanza police commander Jonathan Shanna said Friday.

Tanzania has been hit by several major ferry disasters.

At least 500 people were killed when a ferry capsized in Lake Victoria in 1996.

In 2012, 145 people died when a ferry sank off the shore of Tanzania's Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar.</s>DAR ES SALAAM - Dozens more bodies were recovered on Friday, the morning after a Tanzanian ferry disaster, nearly doubling the death toll to 86, with hundreds more feared missing as rescuers resumed searching for survivors at first light.

The higher death toll was given to the Citizen newspaper by John Mongella, regional commissioner for the port of Mwanza on the coast of Lake Victoria, where the MV Nyerere sank on Thursday afternoon.

Initial estimates suggested that the ferry was carrying more than 300 people when it went down on Thursday afternoon, just a few metres from the dock on Ukerewe, the lake’s biggest island, which is part of Tanzania.

Thirty-seven people had been rescued from the sea, Jonathan Shana, the regional police commander for Mwanza, told Reuters by phone on Friday.

Shana said more rescuers had joined the operation when it resumed at daylight on Friday. He did not give exact numbers.

The precise number of those aboard the ferry when it capsized was hard to establish, since crew and equipment had been lost, officials said on Thursday.

Tanzania has been hit by several major ferry disasters over the years. At least 500 people were killed when a ferry capsized in Lake Victoria in 1996. In 2012, 145 people died when a ferry sank off the shore of Tanzania’s Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar.</s>KAMPALA, Uganda -- A Tanzanian passenger ferry capsized on Lake Victoria and the death toll of 44 was expected to rise when rescue efforts resume Friday, an official said. Thirty-seven people were rescued after the sinking Thursday afternoon, Mwanza regional commissioner John Mongella told The Associated Press.

"I cannot speculate" how many people had been on board, he said. "Right now our focus is on rescue."

Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded.

The Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency, in charge of servicing the vessels, urged patience in a statement as rescue efforts began.

The ferry was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora and capsized near the area of Mwanza, the agency said.

Accidents are often reported on the large freshwater lake surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Some of the deadliest have occurred in Tanzania, where passenger boats are often said to be old and in poor condition.

In 1996, more than 800 people were killed when the passenger and cargo ferry MV Bukoba sank on Lake Victoria.

Nearly 200 people died in 2011 when the MV Spice Islander I sank off Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast near Zanzibar.</s>KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — The death toll rose above 100 on Friday after a ferry capsized and sank on Lake Victoria, Tanzania state radio reported.

The toll is likely to rise further as search and rescue operations continue after Thursday afternoon’s disaster, John Mongella, commissioner for the Mwanza region, told The Associated Press.

At least 37 people were rescued from the sunken ferry as of Thursday evening, when rescue teams called off their mission overnight.

It is not clear how many people were on board. Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded.

No foreigners have been found among the dead, Mwanza police commander Jonathan Shanna said Friday.

The passenger ferry MV Nyerere was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora when it sank, according to the government agency in charge of servicing the vessels.

Accidents are often reported on the large freshwater lake surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Some of the deadliest have occurred in Tanzania, where passenger boats are often said to be old and in poor condition.

In 1996, more than 800 people were killed when the passenger and cargo ferry MV Bukoba sank on Lake Victoria.

Nearly 200 people died in 2011 when the MV Spice Islander I sank off Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast near Zanzibar.</s>At least 126 people have died when an overcrowded ferry capsized in Lake Victoria, Tanzania, the country's transport and communications minister said Friday.

Rescue teams pulled 82 bodies out of the water on Friday, adding to the 44 retrieved the previous day, when the capsizing took place.</s>The death toll in a ferry capsized in Lake Victoria climbed to 126 on Friday, as Tanzanian rescue workers pressed on with the search to find scores more people feared drowned.

The MV Nyerere may have been carrying as many as 200 passengers — double the ferry’s capacity — when it capsized close to the pier on Ukara Island on Thursday, according to reports on state media.

Witnesses reached by AFP said the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock.

The death toll rose to 126 by mid-afternoon Friday, according to Tanzania’s transport minister.

“We are sad to report there are 126 dead,” Isack Kamwele told state television, adding that a further update would be provided at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT).

Mwanza governor John Mongella had earlier said the number of survivors was 40, but it was unclear whether any new survivors had been found since rescue operations resumed with police and army divers on Friday morning.

“Operations are continuing,” he said.

Rescue operations were suspended overnight Thursday and hopes are fading that more survivors might still be found.

State television cited witnesses reporting that more than 200 people had boarded the ferry at Bugolora, a town on the larger Ukerewe Island, where it was a market day when locals said the vessel was usually packed with people and goods.

“I have not heard from either my father or my younger brother who were on the ferry. They had gone to the market in Bugolora to buy a school uniform and other supplies for the new school term,” said Domina Maua, who was among those seeking information about loved ones.

Davita Ngenda, an elderly woman in Ukara, had already received bad news.

“My son is among the bodies recovered,” she said, weeping. “He had gone with his wife but she has not been found yet. My God, what did I do to deserve this?”

Sebastian John, a teacher, said such tragedies had become part of life for those living on the lake.

“Since my birth, people have gone to their deaths on this lake, but what are we to do? We did not choose to be born here, we have nowhere to go,” he said.

It remains unclear how many people are still missing.

Tanzania’s Electrical, Mechanical and Services Agency, which is responsible for ferry services, said it was unknown how many passengers were aboard the MV Nyerere.

The aging ferry, whose hull and propellers were all that remained visible after it overturned, was also carrying cargo, including sacks of maize, bananas, and cement, when it capsized around 50 meters (55 yards) from Ukara dock.

The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but overloading is frequently to blame for such incidents.

President John Magufuli was “deeply saddened” by the disaster and called on Tanzanians to “stay calm during these difficult times,” according to spokesman Gerson Msigwa.

The country’s opposition, however, accused the government of “negligence”.

“We have often raised concerns about the poor condition of this ferry, but the government turned a deaf ear. We have repeatedly denounced this negligence,” said John Mnyika, deputy secretary general of Chadema, the main opposition party.

Mnyika said overloading was “another failure of the authorities” and criticised “inadequate relief efforts as well as delays” in the rescue operation.

With a surface area of 70,000 square kilometers (27,000 square miles), oval-shaped Lake Victoria is roughly the size of Ireland and is shared by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.

Capsizes are not uncommon in the massive lake, and the number of fatalities is often high due to a shortage of life jackets and the fact that many people in the region cannot swim.

The deadliest such accident in recent decades was in May 1996, when around 800 people died after their ferry sank on the way to Mwanza in Tanzania.</s>KAMPALA, Uganda — Hundreds of solemn people watched Friday as body after body was pulled from a capsized ferry that Tanzanian authorities said was badly overcrowded and upended in the final stretch before reaching shore. The official death toll was 127 but horrified witnesses feared that would rise as a second day of searching neared an end.

President John Magufuli urged calm in the East African country with a history of deadly maritime disasters. And a criminal investigation began.

The MV Nyerere's capacity was 101 people but the ferry had been overloaded when it capsized Thursday afternoon, the government's Chief Secretary John Kijazi told reporters. He said those responsible will face charges.

At least 40 people had been rescued, he said, but the number on Friday barely rose. Dozens of security forces and volunteers wearing gloves and face masks had resumed work at daybreak after suspending efforts overnight, hauling bodies into wooden boats.

"More than 200 people are feared dead," based on accounts from fishermen and other witnesses, because passengers had been returning from a busy market day, Tanzania Red Cross spokeswoman Godfrida Jola told The Associated Press. "But no one knows" just how many people were on board.

Tanzanian ferries often carry hundreds of passengers and are overcrowded, and shifts in weight as people move to disembark can become deadly. Images from the scene showed the ferry's exposed underside not far from shore.

Bodies were lined up on plastic sheeting as hundreds of people pressed near the water's edge, watching the search efforts.

Pope Francis and a number of African leaders expressed shock and sorrow.

"His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt solidarity with those who mourn the loss of their loved ones and who fear for the lives of those still missing," the condolence telegram said, according to the Vatican.

The MV Nyerere, named for the former president who led the East African nation to independence, was travelling between the islands of Ukara and Ukerewe when it sank, according to the government agency in charge of servicing the vessels.</s>KAMPALA, Uganda — A regional official in Tanzania says the death toll has risen to 86 after a ferry sank on Lake Victoria.

John Mongella, commissioner for the Mwanza region, says the toll is likely to rise as search and rescue operations resume Friday morning.

The government says the passenger ferry MV Nyerere was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora on Thursday when it sank.

Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded.

Accidents are often reported on the large freshwater lake surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

Some of the deadliest have occurred in Tanzania, where passenger boats are often said to be old and in poor condition.</s>At least 44 people died when after a passenger ferry capsized on Lake Victoria, a Tanzanian official said late Thursday, and the death toll was expected to rise when rescue efforts resumed at daybreak. Thirty-seven people were rescued after the sinking Thursday afternoon, Mwanza regional commissioner John Mongella told The Associated Press. “I cannot speculate” how many people had been on board, he said. “Right now our focus is on rescue.” Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded.

The Tanzania Electrical, Mechanical and Electronics Services Agency, in charge of servicing the vessels, urged patience in a statement as rescue efforts began. The ferry was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora and capsized near the area of Mwanza, the agency said. Accidents are often reported on the large freshwater lake surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Some of the deadliest have occurred in Tanzania, where passenger boats are often said to be old and in poor condition. In 1996, more than 800 people were killed when the passenger and cargo ferry MV Bukoba sank on Lake Victoria. Nearly 200 people died in 2011 when the MV Spice Islander I sank off Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast near Zanzibar.
At least 136 people are dead and more than 100 others are missing after a ferry capsizes in Lake Victoria, Tanzania.