Tanzania ferry disaster kills 200

More than 200 people are feared dead after an over laden ferry capsized in the sea off Tanzania. More than 600 people have been rescued or managed to swim ashore. Many survivors spent up to seven hours at sea.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Initial reports say the ferry may have been carrying more than 800 people when its official capacity was supposed to be 600. In addition to the extra people, the ferry was also carrying cargo from the island of Zanzibar to Pemba. The two islands are a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa and a well-known tourist destination. 

Several people were spared when they avoided traveling on the boat altogether. Saying that the ship was listing to one side, and feeling unsafe, a number of passengers disembarked before the ship departed. As the crew noticed people leaving, survivors say they hurriedly pulled up the ladder and left the dock.

Survivors reported that as the ferry entered the open ocean between the islands where a deep and strong current runs, the ferry began to rock from side to side. As the rocking became intense, people began to panic and scream. Minutes later, waves came over the side and the ferry capsized. 

Most of the victims managed to survive because they were able to cling to flotsam. Rescue took hours, and many survivors were actually washed ashore. Local residents and tourists helped exhausted passengers struggle out of the waves and onto shore. Tourists were seen giving out tea and blankets.

Locals are accusing government officials of doing nothing to safeguard passengers. Ferries commonly travel over laden between the islands, although the vessel that sank Saturday, the MV Spice Islander, was known amongst locals as being in particularly poor condition. Locals also complain that the government has tried to suppress reporting of the disaster, but they have declared a day of mourning for the area. 

Bodies of the dead are still being recovered and many await family to come claim them.  Personal possessions are being displayed next to the blanket-draped bodies to aid in identification. 

There is no word from government officials that they intend to do anything to safeguard passengers on other ferries which often travel well over capacity.

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