Zanzibar ferry disaster: at least 68 dead (UPDATES)
The ferry disaster in Zanzibar left 68 dead and dozens still missing, with officials saying there was little hope.
Victims of a ferry accident are carried ashore from a rescue boat at Malindi poar in Zanzibar on July 18, 2012. At least 38 people perished and more than a hundred are still missing on Thursday after a ferry capsized between the Tanzanian mainland and Zanzibar, government officials said.
Sixty-eight people were confirmed dead and dozens more remained missing after a ferry sank off the coast of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
An official said on Thursday that there was little hope of finding more survivors, according to Agence France Presse.
"Search operations continue but it is now almost impossible survivors will be found," said spokesman for the Zanzibar police Mohamed Mhina. "The ship has completely sunk. There were 290 people on board."
A naval search operation began at first light on Thursday, but survivors feared that some of the passengers became trapped inside the ferry when it capsized, according to the BBC.
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Some of the survivors said they were initially told everything would be okay, and left in the dark about how to wear life jackets. They jumped overboard, clinging to life boats that inflated automatically, said the BBC. They were rescued by a passing tug boat.
Around 145 people were rescued, of the 290 originally on the vessel, according to Reuters. According to police, more than 10 foreign tourists were among those rescued.
"One of those killed in the ferry accident is an American citizen. The body has been recovered and is being preserved at a mortuary," said Mhina.
"We have boats and a police helicopter looking for survivors, but they are battling with heavy winds and rough seas," Zanzibar Police Commissioner Mussa Ali told Reuters.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete said, "This tragedy affects all of us, and the pain and suffering of those affected is the pain and suffering that we feel," according to AFP.
The capsizing follows on another ferry accident last September which was considered the worst maritime disaster in Zanzibar's history, leading relatives of the victims to express their anger at the continuing lax safety regulations.
Kikwete ordered an investigation into the incident and announced three days of mourning, according to Reuters.
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