30 people feared dead after boat carrying football team capsizes in Uganda

Tragedy has struck in Uganda, with as many as 30 football players and supporters thought to have died after their boat capsized on Lake Albert, on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to local publication the Daily Monitor, nine were confirmed dead and a further 21 reported missing, with police commander John Rutagira telling the paper that the boat had been overloaded. News agency Agence France Press reports that local police have confirmed 30 people have drowned, while local reports indicate that 15 passengers have been rescued following the incident. Those on-board were thought to be travelling to a friendly football match as part of a series of Christmas Day festivities in the African country. It is unclear at this stage how many of the victims were members of the football team due to take part in the fixture. This is not the first such accident on Lake Albert, with Ugandan media making reference to six previous tragedies from this century. One of these saw 70 people lose their lives when a passenger boat sank in 2010, while 45 people died in February 2004 when their boat capsized on the lake. This is a developing story and we will attempt to provide more information as and when it comes to light.