Tanzania ferry tragedy 'kills 38'

At least 38 people are now feared dead after a ferry capsized on the Kilombero river in central Tanzania.

Ealier reports had put the death toll at 100 after the ferry, owned by Tanzania Roads Authority, sank near the town of Mahenge, some 300 kilometres (180 miles) west of Dar es Salaam.

The accident occurred at around 1400 (1100 GMT) on Thursday, according to state-run Radio Tanzania.

Police in Morogoro say only 58 people had been issued with tickets to board the ferry.

Acting police commander for Morogoro region, Juma Kondya, said 20 people had been rescued - four of them seriously injured - and two bodies were recovered. This brings the number of those missing to 36.

Navy divers

The BBC's Christine Otieno in Dar es Salaam says that the reason for the disaster is not yet clear but that there are two main theories: heavy rains or possible overloading.

Our correspondent says that police across Morogoro district have been mobilised in the rescue effort and that navy divers have been called in to search for survivors and recover bodies.

She says that ropes holding luggage on to the side of the boat and which helped balance the vessel snapped.

This meant the ferry, which was travelling to Ifakara, lost its equilibrium and capsized.

Winching

The heavy rains are continuing and this is hampering the rescue efforts.

Three cars which were onboard have sunk to the bottom of the river and our correspondent says that winching equipment to raise them is not expected to arrive until Friday.

Although no evidence of overloading has been found, it was the cause of a disaster in 1996, when 500 people died in a ferry capsize on Lake Victoria.

This was found to have been carrying many more passengers than it was designed for.