At least 30 members of a local football team, including its supporters, in western Uganda drowned on Sunday after the boat in which they were travelling to play a friendly match against a team from a neighbouring village capsized on Lake Alberta.
Ugandan police confirmed that the group of 45 members, from Kayibanda village in the Buliisa district, on the boat were having a party and some of them were drunk while on their way to Hoima District, where the Christmas Day friendly was scheduled to be held.
Police said they were able to save the lives of 15 members of the boat with the help of local fishermen. They added that the boat was overloaded and that the "merrymaking team and fans" titled to one side before drowning.
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"The boat was overloaded, with 45 people on board, all members of the football team and local supporters," local police commander local John Rutagira told AFP, as quoted by the Africa News.
"There was a party on the boat and the passengers danced and some were drunk. 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."
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The news portal also revealed that Lake Alberta, which connects Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, has been infamous for such accidents in the past as well. In 2014, a boat carrying Congolese refugees capsized leading to the death of 210 passengers.
