Child killed as overloaded dhow capsizes in Zanzibar

26th July 2012

  MV Skagit owner, captain, and manager appear in court

One person has died and six others survived after an overloaded dhow they were in capsized and sank when crossing Nungwi area in Zanzibar.

The incident comes barely a week after more than 100 people died when MV Skagit owned by Seagull company sank just outside Malindi Port in Zanzibar.

The Southern Pemba regional police commander Assistant Commissioner of Police (ASP)Hassan Nasri Ally confirmed that the accident happened at dawn yesterday, involving a dhow christened ‘Safina’ which was carrying seven people and heavy cargo. He said it capsized due to overloading, killing one five-year boy.

The RPC said the dhow headed for Unguja was coming from Mkoani district in Pemba.

“When it reached Samiani area in the outskirts of Pemba region, the facility experienced an accident,” said the commander.

He named the deceased as Isaka Hamis Suluhu, a resident of Pangani Sokoni in Zanzibar.

According to the commander the boat was enroute from Pangani to Unguja.

He said six people suffered injuries and were rushed to Abdallah Mzee Hospital, a referral Hospital for Pemba region.

He named them as Abadalla Omar Kombo, Suleiman Khamis Suleiman, Juma Siasa, Ally Denge, Abdallah Khamis Faki and Sharifa Juma Marsheti, the mother of the deceased child.

He praised people living on the coast for their efforts to rescue the victims of the accident.

In another development, police in Zanzibar have reported recovery of more bodies from the sunk MV Skagit, saying the number of dead has reached 101 people.

Meanwhile yesterday three people including the owner of the MV Skagit, Said Abdurrahman Juma (46), the Manager of the Seagull Sea Transport Limited, Omar Hassan Mkonje (50) and the captain Mussa Makame Mussa (49) appeared before Mjini Magharibi regional Court in Zanzibar in connection to the sinking of MV Skagit ferry last week.

The accused face 60 charges of carelessness including overloading of the ferry resulting into its sinking on July 18 this year at Chumbe in Zanzibar leading to the death of people.

Reading the charges the public prosecutor Sabra Mselem Khamis said each of the accused was charged with sixty counts and they were not allowed to enter pleas.

On Monday President of Zanzibar Dr Ali Mohamed Shein announced a team to investigate the cause of the accident.

The team will investigate the source of ship sinking and loss of lives and other people saved in the coastal area of Pungume in Zanzibar.