By Gad Masereka
Kagadi: Police divers in Kagadi district, western Uganda, have recovered six bodies from Lake Albert few days after a boat capsized, which led to the drowning of several people.
Romeo Ojara, the Kagadi District Police Commander, said on Tuesday that “Six bodies have been recovered from Lake Albert after a thorough search that was conducted by police, Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) marines and other local divers.”
Ojara added that “One body was recovered on Monday evening while five more were recovered on Tuesday morning. However, we have not yet been able to identify the bodies.”
He revealed that the police and sister security agencies together with marine divers are still trying to retrieve other bodies that might have remained in the lake.
However the police said there is no exact number of people who were on sailing on the ill-fated boat when it set off from the landing site.
But Ojara noted that “We anticipate the number of the dead to increase and we shall count the bodies as they are brought out of water.”
The boat drowned on Sunday night while it was heading from Uganda to the side of DR Congo.
The Kagadi Resident District Commissioner Ms Lillian Ruteraho told the media that “Seven people were reported dead as soon as the boat was involved in an accident.”
She added that “The boat had more than 18 passengers and it is said that at around 11:00Pm the boat capsized, although the police together with local fishermen managed to rescue 11 passengers.”
