30 players and supporters of local football team drown in Uganda

At least 30 members of a local football team and their supporters drowned on Sunday after their boat capsized on Lake Alberta in western Uganda.

Ugandan police confirmed the accident on Monday to AFP indicating that the victims from the Kaweibanda village in the Buliisa district were heading to the neighboring district of Hoima for a friendly match.

“There was a party on the boat and the passengers danced and some were drunk. The boat was overloaded, with 45 people on board, all members of the football team and local supporters,” local police commander, John Rutagira explained.

“The water was calm but the problem came in when the merrymaking team and fans tilted on one side of the boat. It capsized killing about 30 people,” he added.

Fifteen bodies have been rescued and police say they are working closely with local fishermen in the recovery efforts.

Lake Albert, which is shared by Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has faced several cases of boat wreckage.

In March 2014, 210 people died while others were missing after a boat carrying Congolese refugees from Uganda to the DRC capsized.