2014 Lake Albert boat disaster

Capsizing of a boat on Lake Albert in 2014 March 2014 2014 Lake Albert boat disaster Bundibugyo District Uganda.png Map of the Bundibugyo District — in western Uganda. 2014 03 22 Lake Albert, Uganda near the Democratic Republic of the Congo border 1.666861 30.927653 region:UG_type:event inline,title Boat capsizing Overcrowding 251 45 On March 22, 2014, a boat traveling on Africa's Lake Albert capsized. According to local police, 45 survivors were rescued.Uganda: 19 Die in Lake Albert Boat Accident AP ABC News https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/uganda-19-die-lake-albert-boat-accident-23018766 March 22, 2014 March 25, 2014 Officially, 251 people died in the accident.Uganda Lake Albert boat disaster 'killed 251 refugees' March 27, 2014 BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26774338 April 16, 2014 Accident Early on March 22, 2014, two boats carrying people from the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement left the Ugandan shore of Lake Albert en route to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On the way, one of the boats capsized. Its passengers had been returning home after United Nations and Congolese forces won major victories over the Allied Democratic Forces and M23 rebel groups in recent months.Death toll in western Ugandan boat accident rises to 108 people Xinhua March 25, 2014 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-03/25/c_126310046.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20140327051638/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/africa/2014-03/25/c_126310046.htm dead March 27, 2014 March 25, 2014 There was no evidence that the boat's passengers had left Uganda due to conditions at the refugee camp. Reports indicated that the accident occurred due to overcrowding, a common cause of boating casualties in the region due to lax enforcement of safety rules. The boat's listed capacity was 80, but approximately 300 people were on board at the time of the accident. The lack of life vests and inability of most passengers to swim also contributed to the high death toll.Shipwreck on Africa's Lake Albert claims 98 lives AFP Sydney Morning Herald http://www.smh.com.au/world/shipwreck-on-africas-lake-albert-claims-98-lives-20140325-hvmd0.html March 25, 2014 March 25, 2014 Additionally, the boat was in poor condition mechanically.Congolese hold prayers for boat accident victims April 6, 2014 New Vision Pascal Kwesiga http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654257-congolese-hold-prayers-for-boat-accident-victims.html April 16, 2014 April 9, 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140409015437/http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/654257-congolese-hold-prayers-for-boat-accident-victims.html dead Death toll and response Initial efforts led to the rescue of 45 survivors and recovery of 19 bodies on March 22. Survivors were taken to the Bundibugyo District of Uganda, where they received care from the Ugandan government and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. By March 24, 109 bodies were recovered. Of those, 88 were accepted for burial in DRC. The remainder were rejected due to cultural concerns over burying people more than 72 hours after death and were buried at the Bundibugyo hospital cemetery. On March 27, the official death toll was revised to 251. Most of the dead were children.More than 100 Congolese refugees killed in boat accident, Uganda says Philippa Croome CNN March 24, 2014 http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/24/world/africa/uganda-boat-capsizes-death-toll/ March 25, 2014 The boat's skipper recalled counting 96 adults on board, but he did not count the children. Police said they believed nearly all passengers had been accounted for.Boat accident death toll in western Uganda rises to 107 Elias Biryabarema Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-uganda-accident-idUSBREA2N0JO20140324 March 24, 2014 March 25, 2014 In a statement, the United Nations said it was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy. Three days of national mourning were declared in DRC. The government also helped arrange funerals and offered support for the dead. On April 7, DRC announced plans to repatriate about 21,000 refugees living in Uganda. DRC envoy to Uganda Jean Okoto Lolakombe remarked "It is sad that we lost our people, but we have learnt a lesson from the incident."DRC to repatriate nationals from Uganda The Africa Report http://www.theafricareport.com/East-Horn-Africa/drc-to-repatriate-nationals-from-uganda.html Godfrey Olukya April 7, 2014 April 16, 2014 There were 175,000 registered Congolese refugees living in Uganda as of March 2014. References Congolese refugee death toll climbs Africa Category:2014 in Uganda Category:Lake Albert (Africa) Category:Maritime incidents in 2014 Category:Shipwrecks of Africa Category:Shipwrecks in lakes Category:Accidental deaths in Uganda Category:Accidental deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:Deaths due to shipwreck Category:Migrant boat disasters Lake Albert