Three fishermen have lost their lives after a tragic accident involving a fishing boat and a ship in Lake Victoria.
According to reports, the incident occurred near Remba Island, in the Suba North constituency of Homa Bay County, on the night of Wednesday, December 10.
The fishermen, who were out on the lake for their fishing expedition, had already cast their nets and were asleep when the incident occurred.
According to Edward Oremo, Chairman of the Homa Bay County Beach Management Unit (BMU), the ship was reportedly sailing from Uganda, heading to Kisumu, when it collided with the boat, splitting it into three.
The boat crew were caught off guard by the impact, and three of them drowned after they were unable to swim to safety.
One of the fishermen managed to survive after clinging to floating sections of the boat until rescue arrived.
“The boat split into three parts after being hit by the ship when the four fishermen were sleeping after casting their nets,” Oremo said.
Oremo assured that the county government will work with relevant maritime authorities to kickstart investigations into what exactly led to the accident.
Furthermore, search operations spearheaded by local divers have been launched to retrieve the bodies of the three fishermen.
The accident comes two months after three people lost their lives in the Indian Ocean after their boat capsized.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, at least 19 people were rescued after the incident, which happened on Friday, October 10.
The boat capsized during the East African Ocean Festival at Tudor Water Sports in Mombasa.
“A boat carrying 22 passengers capsized during the East Africa Ocean Festival at Tudor Water Sports. So far, 19 people have been rescued, while 3 remain missing,” the Red Cross stated.
