Three people, including a woman and her child, have died in a boat accident on the River Nile in Uganda.
The woman, Super Shakirah, her husband, Hassan Alwi, their two children and a tour guide were on a trip to visit the source of the River when heavy currents swept the boat they were on towards the open spillways of a hydro-power station in the eastern district of Jinja.
The boat’s engine had failed.
A sailor, who tried to rescue the victims, was also washed away by the heavy currents.
The security team at the dam and soldiers rescued Mr Alwi, his 12-year-old child and the tour guide from the water. They have all been admitted to the hospital.
A statement from the police confirmed that “at about 17:30hrs security manager Eskom called Nalufenya police on phone reporting drowning of people at Kiira dam, this was even registered under SD REF 09/30/08/2020. This involved two boats one which had four people namely Hassan Alwi,(father), Shakira Super (mother), Alwi Amirror (child), Jafalu Alwi (child), Okidi Patrick (staff). and the second boat had one person not yet identified who had come to rescue the first boat which experienced an engine failure.
“Upon receipt of information, a team of police officers from Nalufenya police station led by OC station, OC CID, Nalufenya medical team, together with Police marine responded to the scene and managed to rescue and saved two lives from the water which had reached Kiira dam Tabines.”