79 killed as Tanzanian ferry capsizes in Lake Victoria
Dodoma, Sep 21 : At least 79 people have died after a passenger ferry carrying hundreds capsized in Tanzania's Lake Victoria, officials said.
The MV Nyerere ferry overturned on Thursday between two islands of Ukora and Bugolora in Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, which straddles the borders of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
Officials say the number who drowned in the mishap could be more than 200. Rescue efforts resumed on Friday after being put on hold overnight, the BBC reported.
It is thought that the overloaded vessel toppled over when crowds on board moved to one side as it docked.
The local media reports said that the ferry's official capacity was 100 people and officials confirmed that the vessel was carrying more than 400 passengers when it capsized, the report said.
About 100 people were rescued while 37 were said to be in a critical condition.
"We pray to God to give us hope in such an accident," Regional Commissioner Adam Malima told reporters. Locals joined the emergency teams in rescue efforts after the incident.
Boat disasters are frequent on Tanzania's waters, where ferries often exceed their capacity.
Some 200 people were killed after an overloaded vessel hit strong winds off the island of Zanzibar in the Indian Ocean in 2011. The boat had a capacity of 620 passengers but was carrying over 1,000 people.
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Karnataka Governor gives assent to legislation against ‘honour killing’ in inter-caste marriages
Bengaluru: The government has brought into force the Karnataka Freedom of Choice in Marriage and Prevention and Prohibition of Crimes in the name of honour and tradition (Eva Nammava Eva Nammava) Act, 2026, intended to restrict ‘honour killings’ in inter-caste marriages.
According to The Indian Express, the legislation received assent from Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot on April 9 and was officially notified in the state gazette on April 10. The law had been passed unanimously by the state legislature last month.
The Bill was proposed by the Congress government in the wake of caste-linked ‘honour killings’ in the state, including the December 21, 2025, murder near Hubli of a 20-year-old Lingayat woman by her father for marrying a man from another caste.
The phrase ‘Eva Nammava Eva Nammava’ in the title is in reference to the message of universal humanity that the Lingayat saint Basavanna espoused. Basavanna, who rebelled against the caste system to lay the foundation of the Lingayat faith system, an amalgamation of all castes, used the words meaning ‘he is a part of me’ to say all people are one.
Under the new law, crimes committed in the name of ‘honour’, including murder, assault, threats, and social boycott, are specifically addressed with stringent punishments. ‘Honour killing’ offences carry a minimum imprisonment of five years, while serious assaults attract at least three years in jail.
The new law defines the social boycott of inter-caste couples as forcible eviction to remote corners of villages, refusal to provide services, refusal to provide work, refusal to conduct business, denial of loans and admissions to schools, and makes it punishable.
In the case of ‘honour killings’ per se, the new law prescribes a minimum imprisonment of five years, and in the case of assaults, a prison term that is not less than three years for serious injury and two years for minor injuries.
The offences under the proposed law are cognisable and non-bailable, which means police can carry out arrests without court permissions after taking up a case.
The legislation follows several reported inter-caste relationship-related killings in Karnataka in 2025, including cases in Raichur and another involving 18-year-old Kavita.
The law to protect the freedom of choice in marriages is among several social bills that the Congress government has brought out in line with its policies for the backward and downtrodden communities in the state.
