Today , 21st May 2012 is the 16th anniversarry since Mv Bukoba went down in Lake Victoria taking the lives of our approximately 1000 innocent Tanzanians.
My heart goes out for families that lost the loved ones, for the kids who lost the parents, adults who lost their life partners and for all people who lost their loved ones on this tragedy. May the almighty God continue strengthening you. I pray that one day our government will actually open its eyes and do something about transportation systems in Tanzania.
Sinking Date: May 21, 1996
Location: Lake Victoria, Tanzania
Official death toll: 894
The MV Bukoba was a passenger ferry known to disregard safety regulations. It had no life jackets, no life rings, no life vests, no proper firefighting gear; it forwent regular vessel and equipment inspections. The Bukoba began to sway, causing large kitchen equipment, dishes, pots and pans to crash to one side of the ship. The load bang sent the passengers into a panic, and when they rushed to the deck, the ship capsized. A former captain of the Kenyan Navy called its sinking "an accident waiting to happen."
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| A common graveyard for MV Bukoba passengers. May their souls rest in peace. |
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| MV Bukoba memorial tower |