Zanzibar boat accident death toll now 65

THE death toll of the Zanzibar boat disaster has risen to 65, while over 100 are still missing.

The Zanzibar Minister for Infrastructure and Communication, Mr Hamad Masoud,  during a joint press conference said, “This was purely an act of God and we can’t be blamed. Even meteorologists failed to detect the waves. Normally February and July are dangerous months to travel at sea and we have restricted transport during night.”

Masoud added that all unidentified bodies will be buried by the government and the State will meet all the costs.

 About 40 bodies have so far been identified and buried by relatives; other bodies would be buried by the government while efforts to identify a body of a person believed to be a foreigner continues.

Among the rescued people were foreigners from Netherlands: Paul Smeulders, Jaapuan der Hegder, Eline Van NistelRooj, Jua Maouche, and Inge Van Herugnen; Germany: Bernd van Rewnnings, and Bastian Van Rennings; Belgium: Joris Gielen, and Elvira Feyen; and from the US are Hilary Strasburger, and Lauren Dent.

In another development, the European Union (EU) is supporting the ongoing rescue operations in Zanzibar, the UK ambassador Diane Corner said in a statement, while the US ambassador Leahant Alfonso said that his country had donated medicines and other equipment.