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Canoe carrying about 35 passengers capsizes on river in Uganda’s west

By Thomson Reuters Apr 29, 2026 | 11:35 AM

KAMPALA, April 29 (Reuters) – 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 that ⁠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.

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.

(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema;Editing by Alexander ​Winning)