By Dickens Wasonga in Kisumu.
A somber mood has engulfed Mfangano and Mbita point after a motor boat which was ferrying unknown number of people capsized in Lake Victoria yesterday.
The tragedy which reportedly occurred in the evening was blamed on a windstorm that hit the lake moments after the boat left the shores.
By today afternoon police in the area confirmed that only seven people aboard the ill fated boat had been rescued in a joint rescue operation involving the police, Red Cross volunteers and local fishermen.
The officer commanding Mbita police division senior superintendent Cheruto Githinji told the press that a lady passenger who was amongst those earlier rescued died at the Mbita hospital while receiving treatment.
The officer however said the search was still on for the missing people. Police put the number of the passengers at 15 but according to one of the survivors, an estimated 20 passengers could have been on board at the time the boat capsized.
The ill fated boat capsized moments after it left Mfang’ano island in an area between Mbasa and Takawiri islands while heading to Mbita point.
Hopes of finding more survivors of the boat tragedy are slim given those who are still missing have been out in the lake for over 12 hours since the accident.
The police in the area have appealed to the locals to come out and report about any missing persons within their areas or relatives.
Luo Thuondi im Aluo and myown mother is from Manyala ka Wanga Osundwa and add to say that An ja goye kong’uola pier pi.The Lake is Part of Luo pride be cause as story goes that we left Sudan 700 yrs ago to find the source of Nile.We got it and the silly egoist Leaders who mised the way are working ways to see us all dead .Over 600 yrs Luo are not even prepared to live by the killing lake.All life over there is not safe,fishing at risk,un safe voyage to verious islands,criminal heaven,Malaria,colera,waterbond deceases,uganda Army,un trained fisherman,deceases carrier wemem with money from the capital to maintion but afew!