Lake Victoria is considered the most dangerous water body of its kind in the world due to the number of deaths recorded every year.
According to a CNN report, a mixture of lethal weather, poor communication and lack of resources are the three biggest cause of the high fatalities per square kilometre at the freshwater lake.
The lake is so dangerous that at any given point, the people sitting in a boat on the water do not know the depth below.
In case of an accident, boat riders including those with expertise in swimming, are likely to drown not knowing how far or which direction the shore is.
This is often influenced by the extreme weather conditions that change in a very short amount of time disrupting communication and aided by the numerous black spots in the revered lake.
According to a report by NTV Uganda in 2014, the black spots either have rocks on the sea above the surface or slightly beneath the water.
Despite the fishermen knowing the spots and avoiding them, the report shows that strong winds and storms, especially in the months of June, July and August create stronger waves that push the boats towards the rocks.
This damages and can even capsize the boats abruptly leaving the people stranded in the rough waters.
When this happens, the fishermen advise the riders to avoid the shore because the waves are stronger and fatal.
According to the Standard, the lake has claimed more than 500 lives including those of 8-member Kenyan band called Boyieta Wuod Awasi-Ohangla, who were headed to Ndenda Island, Siaya County.
Below is a report by NTV Uganda detailing extreme experience in Lake Victoria
Over 220 people were also reported dead in the lake abode Tanzanian MV Nyerere which overturned on September 20 this year.
According to fishermen at the lake, strong winds that lead to very high waves, thunderstorms and poor visibility are the biggest causes of accidents in the lake.
In past instances, more than 500 people were killed in a 1996 tragedy in which an overloaded ferry sunk 600 people at the port of Mwanza.
The three governments of East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) have now set aside Ksh 2.7billion to build 16 search and rescue centers across the shores to help secure the 70,000 km square lake.
Lake Victoria is the second biggest freshwater lake in the world, the biggest in Africa and the chief reservoir for River Nile.
