TANZANIA : Ferry Captain, Crew Charged in Sinking

The captain and crew of an overloaded ferry that sank in Lake Victoria were charged with causing the deaths of hundreds of passengers. Capt. Jumanne Rume Mwiru and eight crew members were charged in a magistrate’s court in Mwanza, on the southern shore of the lake about eight miles from where the MV Bukoba sank May 21. The charge may be amended when an investigation is completed, court officials said. Also, the death toll may rise as more bodies are recovered. Some of the 114 survivors said the captain, crew and port officials accepted bribes to allow passengers without tickets aboard. The Bukoba carried hundreds more passengers than its capacity of 441 on the 12-hour voyage from Bukoba to Mwanza.