A canoe carrying an estimated 35 to 40 passengers capsized on a river in Uganda’s west near Lake Albert, police said on Wednesday.
Police said in a statement on X one survivor had been identified, and the exact number of missing people was yet to be confirmed due to the lack of a passenger manifest.
The accident happened late on Tuesday on the River Nguse.
Tragic news from Kagadi District: a canoe carrying about 35–40 passengers capsized on River Nguse, with several people still missing and rescue efforts ongoing. Authorities say overloading and night travel may have contributed...#tvoneupdates pic.twitter.com/lFHaFsAROf
— TV One Uganda (@Tv1uganda) April 29, 2026
Police personnel have been “conducting search and rescue operations, while an inquiry into the cause of the accident is ongoing. Possible factors include overloading, night travel and the condition of the vessel”, the statement said.
Accidents on Ugandan waterways are common, with transport operators often using old, badly maintained vessels.
Reuters
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