Sinking Of MV Spice Islander I on:
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On 10 September 2011, , a
Early news reports claimed that the ferry was carrying an estimated 800 people at the time of her sinking, and by 12 September, it was reported that over 240 bodies had been recovered. However, on 14 October, the Tanzanian government confirmed that the vessel had in fact been carrying around 3,586 passengers, of whom 2,764 were unaccounted for. In an investigative report published on 19 January 2012, these figures were revised downward, with 2,470 passengers, 203 confirmed dead, and 1,370 missing.
passenger ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...
carrying over 2,000 passengers, sank off the coast of Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. The ferry was travelling between Unguja and Pemba, two islands off the coast of mainland Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
, when it capsized. Early estimates put the death toll at around 200, but a report published by the Tanzanian government in January 2012 claimed that over 1,500 people had been killed.
Incident
At 21:00 local time (19:00 UTC), MV ''Spice Islander I'' sailed from Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar archipelago, forPemba Island
Pemba Island ( ar, الجزيرة الخضراء ''al-Jazīra al-khadrā'', literally "The Green Island"; sw, Pemba kisiwa) is a Tanzanian island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean.
Geog ...
to the north. The ship's official capacity was 45 crew and 645 passengers, but it was reported to be heavily overloaded. Around four hours after departure, ''Spice Islander I'' sank between Zanzibar and Pemba. The ship is thought to have capsized after losing engine power. Of those on board, around 620 were rescued, with at least 40 of them suffering serious injuries. In addition to passengers, the ferry was believed to have been transporting cargo such as rice.
Death toll
Early news reports claimed that the ferry was carrying an estimated 800 people at the time of her sinking, and by 12 September, it was reported that over 240 bodies had been recovered. However, on 14 October, the Tanzanian government confirmed that the vessel had in fact been carrying around 3,586 passengers, of whom 2,764 were unaccounted for. In an investigative report published on 19 January 2012, these figures were revised downward, with 2,470 passengers, 203 confirmed dead, and 1,370 missing.
Response
TheRevolutionary Government of Zanzibar
The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous government within Tanzania for Zanzibar, which consists of the northern part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, mainly the islands of Unguja and Pemba.
Structure
The government is made up ...
set up a center for people involved in the tragedy and called upon reserves from Zanzibar to join the effort. It also called for foreign support from African countries. The survivors were rescued by ferries and brought back to Zanzibar's main harbour, in Stone Town
Stonetown of Zanzibar ( ar, مدينة زنجبار الحجرية), also known as Mji Mkongwe ( Swahili for "old town"), is the old part of Zanzibar City, the main city of Zanzibar, in Tanzania. The newer portion of the city is known as Ng'ambo ...
.
On 11 September, three days of mourning began for those who died in the incident. An investigation into the sinking was also announced; the Zanzibar minister of state, Mohamed Aboud Mohamed
Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam.
Muhammad and variations may also refer to:
*Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations
...
said: "The government will take stern measures against those found responsible for this tragedy, in accordance with the country's laws and regulations."
Eight months later, the , another ferry on the same route, also sank, also with large loss of life.
See also
*List of shipwrecks in 2011
The list of shipwrecks in 2011 includes ships sunk, foundered, grounded, or otherwise lost during 2011.
January 1 January
3 January
5 January
9 January
11 January
28 January
30 January
February 4 February
7 Fe ...
* , a Tanzanian ferry which sank in 1996, also with great loss of life
* Likoni Ferry
The Likoni Ferry is a ferry service across the Kilindini Harbour, serving the Kenyan city of Mombasa between the
Mombasa island side and the mainland suburb of Likoni. Two - four double-ended ferries alternate across the harbour, carrying both ...
, which suffered a similar disaster in 1994, in nearby Mombasa
References
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