AT LEAST 120 survivors were rescued from a Tanzanian ferry which capsized on Lake Victoria near the western town of Mwanza yesterday and 25 bodies found, the Tanzania Railway Corporation, owners of the vessel, said.
Mr P.J. Kyesi, the state owned corporation's acting deputy managing director, told reporters he was sceptical of reports by state radio that over 500 had died.
But Mr Kyesi could not give a death toll and he appeared unaware of how many people were on board the ageing MV Bukoba vessel.
"They (rescue teams) found 120 people alive and we also expect there could be more survivors on makeshift rafts, so we are scavenging to find them," he said.
He denied reports that the vessel hit a rock before it went down and the Mwanza regional police commander, Mr Ignas Mtana, said his men were still investigating.
"We don't know what happened and we are still scrutinising the information surrounding this accident," Mr Mtana said.
But state owned Radio Tanzania earlier said more than 500 people were confirmed dead when the MV Bukoba went down near Karumo island, 17 miles outside Mwanza.
The radio quoted officials at Mwanza port as saying there was no hope of recovering more survivors from the ferry, which apparently was overloaded when it went down at 6.00 a.m. GMT.
Mr Kyesi said rescue operations by army divers, police and members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) would continue through out the night.
Survivors said many of their fellow passengers were caught underneath the vessel where they remained trapped when it turned over and sunk.
Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, saying he was shocked by the tragedy, declared a three day period of national mourning starting from today.
Attention focused on the sea worthiness of the ageing vessel, which railway corporation sources said was due to be taken out of service very soon.
But presidential spokesman Mr Patrick Chokala said the ferry had recently passed stability tests.
"Reports say the ferry had been declared sound and it was tested recently for its seaworthiness," said Mr Chokala.