Uganda boat accident kills 17

A boat carrying football players and fans has capsized on a Ugandan lake, killing around 17 people.

About 17 people are feared dead after heavy winds overturned a boat carrying local football players and their fans on a lake in Uganda, police say.

Two bodies have been recovered while at least 15 passengers are still missing since the boat capsized on Lake Albert in northwestern Uganda on Sunday, police spokesman Julius Hakiza told dpa.

Thirty-two people, who were all returning from a football match, had been rescued by Sunday evening, according to Hakiza.

"We suspect [the boat] was overloaded and it was also overpowered by strong winds," said Hakiza.

Boat accidents are common on the East African nation's numerous lakes, where simple wooden boats are used as a means of public transport and often travel overloaded, despite bad weather conditions.


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Source: AAP


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