Church Choir Members Die in Bus Accident in Kenya

FROM THE AP:

Kenyan police say at least 18 people died after a bus carrying choir members to a wedding plunged into a river in Kenya today Saturday, December 4, 2021.

 Mwingi East Sub-County Police Commander Joseph Yakan said the driver tried to steer the bus past a flooded bridge, but the strong current swept the vehicle into the river. He said 10 people were rescued. The choir members of Mwingi Catholic Church had been traveling for their male colleague's wedding when the accident occurred in Kitui County. Officials said the incident is under investigation.

For more reporting click on the link below:

KENYA BUS ACCIDENT

Mwili wa Buyoya Biswalo Umepatikana na Kutambulika Jioni Hii!

Wadau, kwa majonzi nawataarifu kuwa mwili wa Buyoya Paul Biswalo (32)  umepatikana mchana huu na kutambulika jioni hii kuwa kweli ni yeye.  Alipata ajali ya maji kwenye Mto Chattahoochee huko Georgia siku ya jumanne wiki iliyopita.   Ilibidi waokaji watumie helikopta kusearch mto.

Mungu ailaze roho ya Buyoya mahala pema mbinguni. Amen.  

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KUTOKA  ROSWELL PATCH

Update: Body Found in Chattahoochee Identified

Rescuers searched for victim for seven days.

Posted by Ann Marie Quill (Editor) , August 12, 2013 at 05:40 PM

The body of Buyoya Paul Biswalo was recovered from the Chattahoochee River on Monday.

Update, Monday, Aug. 12, 5:40 p.m:

From the Roswell Fire Department:
The body of Buyoya Paul Biswalo, 32, who was last seen rafting with friends on the Chattahoochee River, has been recovered. The body was located using a helicopter from the Department of Natural Resources.

The Roswell Fire Department along with members of the Johns Creek Swift Water Rescue, Roswell Police, Department of Natural Resources, Dawson County K-9, National Park Service, Forsyth County Dive Team, City of Atlanta Fire, Sandy Springs Fire and Police and the Clayton County Dive Team, spent the last seven days searching for the victim using sonar, cameras, K-9s, and helicopters.
Water levels were down today aiding in the search efforts. The National Parks Department coordinated the release of water from Morgan Falls and the Army Corps of Engineers restricted the release of water from Buford Dam.

Original story, Monday, Aug. 12, 3:11 p.m.:

Six days after rescuers began a search for a man missing from the Chattahoochee River near Don White Park in Roswell, police say a body was recovered at about 1:54 Monday afternoon.

No word yet on whether the body is that of the unidentified man rescuers were looking for after he was spotting trying to swim from one boat to another on Aug. 6.

The Roswell Police Department is in the process of identifying the body now, according to Lt. James McGee.

Kwa habari zaidi BOFYA HAPA: 

THE SEARCH FOR THE BODY OF BUYOYA BISWALO

Rescue teams returned to the Chattahoochee River in Roswell Wednesday to search for a man last seen swimming Tuesday afternoon

The Late Buyoya Biswalo 1981 -2013

 

Buyoya Biswalo Apotea Baada ya Ajali ya Maji Georgia

Wadau, natoa pole kwa familia ya Biswalo. Buyoya amepotea na kuhofia kufa maji baada ya ajali ya boti siku ya jumanne  (Agosti 6) wiki hii.  Wazamaji wanatafuta mwili wake mtoni.  Alienda rafting na marafiki zake kwenye Mto Chattahoochee huko Georgia ndipo alipopata ajali. Nimesoma ripoti kuwa alikuwa anajaribu kwena boti nyingine  kwa kuogelea akapata shida majini, wenzake wakamtupia life vest lakini alizama majini. Ilichukua wenzake saa nzima kabla hajaripoti kupotea kwake. Hiyo nashaangaa maana mara nyingi ukiita waokoaji wanaweza kukupata na kukufua kwa CPR na mshine zao. Kuna maswali mengi. Tuombe miujiza apatekane salama.

Buyoya akipiga pozi

Buyoya na mdogo wake Maria pale UDSM Sinza Rd.

Kutoka North Fulton News

Rescue teams search for missing 'Hooch boater

ROSWELL, Ga. – A 32-year-old man is missing on the Chattahoochee River after he fell in Aug. 6 while rafting with friends.

Paul Buyoya Biswaldo, of an unknown address, was reported with a large group of friends rafting down the river from Azalea Park. Lt. James McGee of the Roswell Police Department said alcohol was involved.

"He was in the process of going from one raft to another raft when he lost his footing and fell in," McGee said.

His friends threw a life preserver to him but he never resurfaced. They returned to the boat dock to report him missing, about an hour after his disappeared.

Police, fire and rescue teams arrived to begin the search, about 5:15 p.m. and they searched until nightfall. Wednesday morning they picked up the search, however rain and fog limited their efforts.

McGee said the efforts were still considered "rescue" and not "recovery."

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 Kutoka the Atlanta Journal- Constitution
'

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

Rescue teams returned to the Chattahoochee River in Roswell Wednesday to search for a man last seen swimming Tuesday afternoon.
The man, whose name was released, was last seen around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, swimming from a boat in the area of Don White Park on Riverside Road, Roswell police said.
Investigators believe the man was attempting to go from one boat to another, but instead ended up in the water. Boaters attempted unsuccessfully to throw a life vest to the man, according to police.
Crews searched until dark Tuesday, and the Forsyth County dive team, along with state Department of Natural Resources, National Park Service and Roswell fire personnel resumed looking for the man Wednesday morning.
“The last known location where he was seen struggling was under the river bridge,” Roswell Deputy Fire Marshal Paul Piccirilli said Wednesday.
“We will begin where he was last seen, then, based on the water current and water levels, they will determine which direction to go from there,” Piccirilli told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We will stay out here until we find him or other information becomes available that we don’t need to do that any longer.”
Staff writer Mike Morris and photographer John Spink contributed to this article.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
 



CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA
Search Underway For Missing Boater


On Tuesday, August 6th, rangers and other personnel began a search for a missing boater in the Chattahoochee River.
Late that afternoon, rangers received a call for assistance in finding a man who’d been on the river with a party of 21 other boaters. The man was swimming between two rafts when he went underwater and failed to resurface.
Rangers and personnel from the National Park Service, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the cities of Atlanta, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Johns Creek, and Forsyth and Dawson Counties have been searching in less than ideal conditions. Heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and dense fog have plagued the search area for the last two days.
The search continues.

Contact Information
Name: Sean Perchalski

Saida Karoli ni Mzima! Hajafa!

Wadau, ndo Uselebriti huo, Uzushi mwingi! Saida Karoli yu Hai!  Mungu azidi kumbariki!

Hakuwemo kwenye boti iliyopata ajali, Ziwa Victoria!

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Taarifa ya Neville Meena kuwa ingawa ni kweli kuna ajali ya boti iliyotokea, mwanamuziki Saida Karoli hakuwa mmoja wa waliokuwemo kwenye boti hiyo na yuko hai!Taarifa hiyo imetoa angalizo kutafuta uhakika kwani inasemekana kuwa Saida Karoli ni mzima, yupo jijini Dar es Salaam: “Nimetafuta namba yake ya simu sijaipata, ila taarifa kutoka Bukoba na ofisi ya Ofisa Utamaduni Muleba zinasema siyo kweli…” ameandika Meena.
Kuhusiana na ajali ya boti, Meena amesema, “…ni kweli kwamba kuna boti imezama katika Ziwa Victoria, na kulikuwa na uvumi mwingi mjini Bukoba na Wilayani Muleba kuhusu mwanamuziki huyo kufariki lakini baadaye ikathibitika kwamba hakuwa mmoja wa abiria.”Nayo Upland FM radio, Kwa kupitia Facebook page yake, imekanusha taarifa za kufariki Saida kalori na kusema msanii huyo ni mzima wa Afya. “TAARIFA: Kumezuka habari zisizo rasmi juu ya mwanamuziki SAIDA KALORI. Tunaomba kuthibitisha kwa Mwanamuziku huyo ni MZIMA wa afya kabisa. Usidanganywe na uzushi wowote. ASANTE.” imesema taarifa hiyo ya Upland FM

Kifo cha Kanumba - Magazeti yanasema nini Bongo?

Kutoka THE CITIZEN

Mystery surrounds movie star’s death
Saturday, 07 April 2012 21:39

The Citizen Reporters

Dar es Salaam. Police are busy trying to resolve a mystery surrounding the shocking death of movie star Steven Charles Kanumba, who died in Dar es Salaam yesterday, shortly after picking a quarrel with his girlfriend.

The Bongo movie iconic actor, 28, was pronounced dead on arrival at Muhimbili National Referral Hospital where he had been rushed by his doctor, a family member and close friends. He died at around 3am.

The Kinondoni Regional Police Commander, Mr Charles Kenyela, said Kanumba had been rushed to the hospital unconscious from his city home in Sinza suburb.

“Initial reports indicate that he fell in his bedroom where he was with the 18-year-old girlfriend identified as Elizabeth Michael,” said Mr Kenyela. The girl, also an actor commonly referred to as ‘Lulu’, has been cohabiting with Kanumba for some time now.

Mr Kenyela confirmed they were holding Ms Lulu for questioning. She was still locked up at the Oysterbay police station last night.

The police chief said investigations were still in the initial stages, and as such, it was too early to draw conclusions on the cause of the death, but promised to issue a detailed statement upon completion of the exercise. He confirmed that a postmortem was also underway at the hospital’s mortuary.

According to Mr Kenyela, Lulu told them that Kanumba fell down and hit his head on the concrete wall and passed out on the spot. “She said the deceased just slumped to the ground and hit the concrete once they were in the bedroom,” he said in a telephone interview with The Citizen.

He said the girl told the police Kanumba had picked a quarrel with her after they had arrived home at about 1am, over a telephone call she had received a short while earlier.


“Lulu claimed when he got aggressive, she attempted to run away but Kanumba caught up with her outside the gate and took her back to the bedroom. She says he collapsed as soon as he locked the door and hit the wall,” Kenyela explained.

The police took from the scene a glass and bottle of whisky which the deceased was believed to have been drinking. Other witnessed claimed they also saw them dust the wall and also take away a sword found in the bedroom.

News about the death spread fast and shocked the nation where the self made actor had attracted tremendous following and liking for his quick success in the film industry spanning almost decade.

His talent not only made him a household name locally, but also in other countries like Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Ghana and Nigeria, if social network post yesterday are anything to go by.

Thousands of fans rushed to the hospital as soon as they got wind of the incident. The crowds welled by the second outside his house gate, forcing the police to intervene to cordon the highway for smooth traffic flow.

Fellow actors wailed uncontrollably and some fainted on arriving at the home to join other mourners, whom included Cabinet ministers, and top public and private sector executives.

The grief galvanized the entire nation and other countries where Kanumba had made a name for himself as one of the rising actors in the continent. A close friend and South Africa based Tanzanian model Happiness Magesse could not hold her tears and broke on national television during an interview in the morning.

At Muhimbili, close associates and comrades cried and huddled in disbelief when they witnessed his body being removed from his brand new Toyota VX land cruiser and wheeled him into the mortuary.

The super star’s burial plans would likely be announced later today as his mother was being awaited last night from Bukoba town where she is based.

Producer wa Amazing Race Afariki Uganda

Wadau, kama mtakumbuka kama miaka mitatu iliyopita TV Show Amazing Race, walipitia Tanzania.  Katika Amzaing race timu zinasafiri katika nchi kadhaa za dunia, timu ya kwanza kufika katika sehemu mjia kadhaa inashinda siku hiyo.  Zanzibar ilipata umaarufu walipopitia hapo.

Leo kuna habri kuwa moja wa maproducer, Jeff Rice, amefariki dunia mjini Kampala.  Alikuwa anafuatilia habari tofauati lakini.  Polisi wa Uganda wanasema kuwa kafa kwa cocaine overdose.  Jamani,  kama kweli kafa kwa cocaine overdose itakuwa si mara ya kwanza mzungu/mtalii kufa kwa overdose barani Afrika.  Wakati nafanya kazi Daily News kuna mwarabu kutoka Royal Family alikufa kwa overdose Embassy Hotel lakini tulizuiliwa kuchapisha hiyo habari.

Kuna watalii ambao kazi yao ni kwenda nchi zingine kutumia madawa ya kulevya na kufanya ngono ya ajabu kwa vile wakifanya hapa Marekani sifa zao zinaharibika na wanaweza kufungwa.

Lakini familia ya marehemu, Jeff Rice, wanadai kuwa huenda alipewa sumu kwa vile alikuwa anafanya uchunguzi sijui kuhusu nini.  Ukweli utajulikana.

REST IN PEACE JEFF RICE.


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Production facilitator Jeff Rice, who worked for reality shows including the current season of 'The Amazing Race,' was found dead after a suspected poisoning.

'Amazing Race' Producer's Death: Police Await Assistant's Recovery to Gain More Info


By BAZI KANANI and KEVIN DOLAK
Good Morning America –

....Investigators and family of the former "Amazing Race" producer Jeff Rice, who was found dead in a Uganda hotel room last Friday, are waiting to learn more about what might have killed him -- a cocaine overdose or suspected poisoning -- from his assistant, who remains in critical condition in a Kampala hospital.

Rice's body was found at the luxury Serena hotel in the capital city of Kampala. His assistant, Katheryne Fuller, was found unconscious.

"Ms. Fuller is slowly recovering, and when she is recovered enough we will be able to talk to her and find out more about what happened," Uganda Police Force spokesman Asuman Mugenyi said. "She is not able to speak. Although she is responding to the treatment, she is not yet available to explain what transpired."

Police say hotel staff noticed a man hanging on a balcony last Friday, and when they went to the room they found the 39-year-old's body on the balcony and Fuller unconscious in the room. Staff called police and rushed the two to a hospital, where Rice was declared dead, police said.

Investigators initially believed Rice and Fuller may have been sickened by some type of food poisoning. Later Mugenyi denied reports that Rice had been poisoned after he rebuffed a shakedown attempt from local "thugs," although friends remain skeptical.

"I was shocked. Jeff was someone who was terrific at his job," Josh Gates, a friend of Rice's told ABC News. "I don't know exactly what to think about what happened to Jeff. I hear conflicting reports coming out of the region."

Ugandan police said they have now ruled out poisoning and said further testing found high-levels of cocaine in Rice's system. Sources said Rice and Fuller were working on an investigative documentary, and many fear they might have been targeted by locals.

"For him to pass away so young so suddenly is alarming, obviously, but also is surprising because he was someone who was really able to take care of himself in the field. He was excellent at what he did," Gates added.

Rice was a veteran producer who worked on the latest season of the hit reality series "The Amazing Race" and the Emmy-nominated Animal Planet series "Whale Wars." In addition to raising two young kids, Rice and his wife, Sally Blackman, operated a television and film production company called SB Productions in Durban, South Africa.

Katheryne Fuller's father Stuart Fuller confirmed Rice were shooting a documentary, and other crew members who were with them should know more about what sickened them. Stuart Fuller said he is now with his daughter at the hospital in Kampala.

"She is OK. We are trying to get her back to South Africa. She needs medical attention that they can't do here," he said.

Kwa habari zaidi BOFYA HAPA:

Ubaguzi Hadi Kaburini Connecticut

Kaburi la Marehemu Juliet Steer

Huko Connecticut, mwanamke mweusi, Juliet Steer, mwenye miaka 47 alikufa kwa ugonjwa wa kansa.  Kabla hajafa alipitia sehemu za kuzika nyingi.  Aliona  makaburi ya wayehudi ambao walikuwa wanakubali kuzika wasio wayehudi.  Alisema alipapenda kwa vile ilionekana kuwa ni eneo enye amani sana. Kalipia kaburi na alivyofariki  kazikwa huko akidhani atapumzika kwa amani kwa milele.


Sasa mwanamke myehudi, Maria Balaban (72), alivyosikia hiyo habari amekwenda mahakamani na kudai kuwa Bi Steer, afukuliwe! Anasema ni sumu kwa weusi kuzikwa na wayehudi! Anasema hataki kuzikwa na weusi na pia ndudu zake waliozikwa huko kupumzika na weusi! Balaban anasema kuwa yeye si mbaguzi. Lakini kama si mbaguzui mbona hapingi wazungu waio wayehudi kuzikwa huko?

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 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Juliet Steer was dying of cancer when she chose her final resting place in the woods of southeastern Connecticut. She picked the plot in an interfaith section of a Jewish cemetery in Colchester because it was peaceful, her brother said, and she died at age 47 in 2010.

 But that peace has been broken by a lawsuit seeking to have her remains exhumed and moved because Steer was not Jewish. The dispute over Steer, who was black, escalated recently with allegations of racism against the plaintiff and of retaliation against her by fellow congregation members.

Maria Balaban, a 72-year-old white member of the Congregation Ahavath Achim, sued in state court in New London nearly a year ago, alleging the congregation broke its own rule against burials of non-Jews at its three cemetery properties when it allowed the burial of the Jamaican-born Steer, who lived in the neighboring town of East Hampton. The synagogue says its rules allow for burial of non-Jews.

 Balaban, who is also a member of the conservative congregation's board of directors, has reserved plots at the same cemetery for herself and her husband, and they have relatives buried there. She didn't return several messages seeking comment, but her lawyer denies the accusations and says her background, which includes employment as a social worker, demonstrates she is not racist.

According to the congregation board's meeting minutes, Balaban was present when the board in 2009 unanimously approved setting aside a section of the Colchester Jewish Aid Congregation Cemetery for interfaith couples, their non-Jewish children and other non-Jews.

Steer is the only person buried there. Four white people have reserved plots in the interfaith section, but Balaban isn't challenging their purchase or usage of the plots, according to lawyers for both the plaintiff and defendant. The four people include an interfaith couple who are married and another couple who are not.
 
The congregation's lawyer, George Purtill, filed a court document last month alleging that Balaban is suing only because Steer was black. He said Balaban approved of the interfaith cemetery allowing non-Jews, contested it only after Steer was buried there and has made derogatory comments about Steer's race - among them that Steer should have been buried in the back of the cemetery, away from the Balaban family plots.
 
"My client is very upset by this all," Purtill said. "They created the (interfaith cemetery) to be open, compassionate and caring and feel chagrined that their goodwill towards others is being rewarded with this costly litigation."
 
Purtill said the interfaith cemetery was the result of the changing structure of families and the increase in interfaith and other types of relationships, including unmarried couples and civil unions. Congregation rules say burial plots in the interfaith section can be bought "by an individual for any individual without regard to religious identity."

Balaban's attorney, Martin Rutchik, denies that his client is racist and that she made disparaging remarks about Steer's race. Shortly after Purtill filed the document making the racism allegations last month, Rutchik filed an updated lawsuit to add a request for damages for emotional distress, claiming that the congregation has shunned Balaban and members have been "harsh" to her and made her feel unwanted.
 
A court hearing is planned for Feb. 29.

Rutchik accused the congregation of inappropriately bringing race into the case.

  "I feel that this tactic used by the defendant is very unfair and is very abusive of Mrs. Balaban," he said. "This lady (Balaban) has a history that does not speak of racism."
  
Rutchik added that Balaban grew up in Cuba, a country with a large black population, and helped many black people in New York City when she was a social worker there years ago. She also worked at a daycare center in Willimantic, Conn., attended by many African-American children.

  Rutchik said that Balaban's background "clearly demonstrates this woman was not a racist," and that she is suing solely over the congregation's failure to follow its own burial rules.
 
Traditional Jewish laws and practices prohibit the burial of non-Jews in Jewish cemeteries, said David Berger, dean of the Bernard Revel Graduate School of Jewish Studies of Yeshiva University in New York City.
 
"Jews should be buried with other Jews. There is such an expectation," Berger said.

  But the number of interfaith cemeteries is increasing, he said, because there are more marriages between people of different faiths.
  
 At issue in Balaban's case is language about cemetery use in an agreement between the Congregation Ahavath Achim and the former Colchester Jewish Aid Congregation that was approved when the two groups merged in 1999. The agreement says the merged congregation "shall not allow anyone of the non-Jewish faith to be buried within the confines of Rows A through H of said cemetery or any other cemetery properties of the ... congregation."

Balaban insists that means that only Jews can be buried in the congregation's cemeteries, but the congregation says the wording about rows A through H means that non-Jews can be buried in other parts of that cemetery.
 
The congregation's rabbi, Kenneth Alter, and members of its board referred questions to Purtill.

 "I can only say it's unfortunate," said Arthur Liverant, secretary of the congregation and chairman of its cemetery committee.

Steer, who moved to Connecticut with her two brothers and two sisters in 1987, was interested in the Jewish faith, said her brother, Paul Steer of Bloomfield. While she was ill, she was talking with Alter about Judaism and asked to be buried at the interfaith cemetery, he said.

 "She went up and looked at it and thought it was a peaceful place," Paul Steer said. "She believed in the Jewish religion. We were taught that Jesus was a Jew, and that's who we worship."
 
Steer said that Balaban's lawsuit has upset his family, but that they don't believe Balaban will win and they're not concerned their relative's body will be relocated.

"If God doesn't want it to happen, it cannot happen," he said.

Wanne Washitakiwa! Ajali ya meli MV Spice Islanders

Haya wadau, watu wanne wameshitakiwa mahakamani. Naona kama hao ni watu wadogo. Nahodha wa hiyo meli yuko wapi?  Kwa nini alikubali kuondoka na meli ambayo kila mtu aliona imejaa kupindukia. Pia, kwa nini meli iliruhusirwa kuondoka bandarini.  Huko Dar walilazimishwa kushusha mizigo kabla ya kuruhusiwa kuondoka bandarini na kuelekea Zanzibar. Au Nahaodha alikufa katika ajali. Kuna ule usemi Nahodha anakufa na meli yake! (The Captain always goes down with his ship). Au anakataa mitaa ya Dar?

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STONE TOWN, Tanzania (AP) - Tanzanian authorities have charged four men with negligence over a ferry sinking that cost more than 240 lives a week ago.
 It's unclear how many passengers were aboard, but more than 800 people survived by clinging onto pieces of wood or crowding onto lifeboats.

 "It is a relief to us to hear that a handful of people were charged, but we believe the real culprits remain untouched," said survivor Suleiman Malik. "We wish to see some big fish fished out and face the long arms of the law."

The ferry owner Yusuf Suleiman Jussa, 47, first officer Abdallah Mohamed Ali, 30, and Zanzibar Ports Authority employee Silima Nyange Silima, 27, all were charged with contravening the Maritime Act by allowing the heavily overloaded M.V. Spice Islander to leave port.

Captain Said Abdullah Kinyanyite, who remains missing, was charged in absentia.

Ramadhan Nassib from the Directorate of Public Prosecution said the four were responsible for the deaths after the ferry sank at night in an area of deep seas and strong currents.

The suspects were not allowed to enter a plea after the charges were read out to a packed courtroom late on Friday.

MV Spice Islander bandarini Zanzibar photo by Photo by Nipun Srivastava

SA Divers Unable to Reach Sunken MV Spice Islander

Yaani samahani, lakini hao divers wanaonekana kama watalii wakiogelea beach! Vifaa vyao vya diving viko wapi! Na eti Submarine haiwezi kuja mpaka mwezi wa 6 mwakani mpaka tume iundwe, KHAA?  Ina maana hata kama kuna maiti huko, zitakuwa zimekwisha liwa  na samaki na kubakia nguo zao tu!

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South African divers spotted on Tumbatu Island yesterday preparing to begin searching for bodies of Zanzibar marine tragedy victims still unaccounted for. (Photo: Khalfan Said)

Kutoka IPPMEDIA.com

SA divers fail to reach sunk MV Spice Islander


By The guardian reporter

15th September 2011
South African divers spotted on Tumbatu Island yesterday preparing to begin searching for bodies of Zanzibar marine tragedy victims still unaccounted for. (Photo: Khalfan Said)Efforts to reach the sunken MV Spice Islander lying 360 metres deep in the water at Nungwi proved futile yesterday after divers discovered that the equipment they had could only go down 54metres.

The information dashed any hopes of the divers from South Africa reaching the boat to see if there were any more bodies trapped inside.

The Head of the Operation Colonel Joachim Zakaria said the divers informed them of the technical hitch, adding: “We have been informed by the head of divers from South Africa that he had communicated with his colleague on the possibility of bringing in a submarine and a special vessel for scanning the area of the accident but the process will be pending until June next year,” he said.

The scanning vessel has the capability to locate the area where the boat has sunk, making it easier to reach it by a submarine.

He was speaking to The Guardian yesterday aboard the Tanzania People’s Defense Forces Kasa boat which has docked between Tumbatu and Mwana Mwana Islands, to coordinate the diving operation which started on Tuesday, involving a group 22 divers from South Africa, TPDF and KMKM.

He said what they were doing currently was to go through the coastal areas of Tanga to Mombassa to establish if there were any more bodies and property which have been left out.

“Where the boat capsized is the route for marine vessels, thus it is the responsibility of the divers to clear it to avoid other accidents,” Colonel Zakaria said.

“What our colleagues are doing now in collaboration with Tanzanian divers is not to reach the sunken boat, but to ensure that the area is cleared,” said the Operations Assistant Colonel Joel Makunde.
A Commander of the South Africa Divers brigade Wyne Combrick said TPDF has asked them to remain for two weeks, to clear the area.

“The exercise is going on well although we have not managed to reach the capsized boat. We are proceeding with the work of ensuring the area surrounding the scene is cleared.

The MV Spice Islander capsized and sunk on Saturday on its way to Pemba from Dar es Salaam via Zanzibar.

According to the government report 202 people have so far been confirmed dead, while over 600 survived. Hundreds of people are still looking for missing relatives who were on the boat.

The death toll has risen slightly from 197 to 202 after five bodies were found along the shores of Mombasa in Kenya on Tuesday.

Magodoro, Milango ilisaidia Kuokoa maisha katika Ajali ya MV Spice Islander

Wadau, kwenye miaka ya 1980's kulikuwa na jali ya mashua Zanzibar. Magodoro yalisaidia kuokoa maisha ya watu katika ajali hiyo.

Lakini sheriza za bahari zinasema kuwa meli lazima iwe na Lifejackets na boti za kutosha abiria kwenye meli! Kwa vilie meli MV Spice Islander ilikuwa na watu wengi kuliko kiasi chake cha kubeba watu 600,  hazikutosha!  SERIKALI MKO WAPI HAPO?
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Kutoka IPPMEDIA.com
 Survivor: Mattresses, Doors Saved Our Lives

By Judica Tarimo

12th September 2011As the nation enters the second day of mourning the MV Spice Islanders tragedy, one of the survivors, Kassim Abdalah said yesterday that most passengers used mattresses and wooden doors to keep afloat.

According to the survivor, they started the journey at Zanzibar Port around 10.00 pm on Friday heading to Pemba.

“But even before we started the journey, most of us (passengers) were not comfortable with the condition of the ship…the vessel was tilting, something that worried many passengers, including me,” narrated Abdallah, a resident of Kisiwani Kojani.

He said a short distance from Nungwi Bay some passengers started sensing abnormal movements of the ship.

“It seemed as if the ship was sinking… fear and tension gripped most passengers on board,” he explained, adding: “The situation worsened when we arrived at Nungwi Bay after one of the ship’s engines stalled.”

Fearing for their lives, some passengers, especially women, started crying, with others asking the ship’s captain to assure them of their safety, after the engine ceased.

This forced the captain to make an announcement…urging passengers not to panic, saying the ship could still travel on one engine. “According to the captain we would arrive safely despite of the problem. Since we (passengers) are not experts, we believed him, and the journey continued,” he said.

They proceeded with the safari, but when they were some five kilometres from Nungwi Bay, the second engine ceased, shocking everybody and triggering more panic and outcries amongst passengers, as sea water started entering the ship.

“The ship had started to sink, slowly! Every passenger prayed to God for some miracles to save our lives. There was nothing we could do except to pray,” he explained.

“It reached a point when almost half of the ship was covered with water…it is at this point when many children and infants died, as adults, like me, struggled to save our lives,” said Abdallah.

The ship’s captain, assisted by five sailors, threw life buoys into the Ocean, and all of them jumped onto them and started helping other passengers out of the sinking ship onto the rescue facility.

“Unfortunately the rescue facility could not accommodate all passengers, because the carrier capacity of that facility was low compared to the number of people needing help,” the survivor explained.

“Fortunately as we desperately sought ways to save ourselves, we realized that, there were mattresses and wooden doors on top of the ship…they belonged to businesspeople plying between Pemba and Unguja.”

“So, one of us (passengers) threw the mattresses and the doors to the ocean which we used as rafters to rescue passengers. Honestly speaking, these mattresses and doors, saved lives of many more passengers,” he added.

Abdallah said while the rescue continue, a group of 40 passengers, including him had clung to the ship, in anticipation of assistance from relevant authorities and anybody else who might happen.

“No rescue came and the whole ship sunk, taking with it 25 passengers who probably died. I and 14 other passengers used mattresses and doors which were floating on the surface to remain afloat. We held onto the mattresses and doors, for hours---from around 1.00 am until morning,” he said.

While on the Ocean, waiting for help, he said: “We saw an airplane, afar. We raised our hands and water pipes—hoping it would spot us. Apparently noticing us, the plane circled above for a while…before flying away.”

“Not long after a boat come to our rescue. Before helping us out of the water, people on the boat spent sometime, taking our photos,” said Abdallah.

“After this the boat came close to where we were, picked us up and put all of us onto it…in short the mattresses and doors, saved my life and those of many other passengers, in the tragedy,” he concluded.

Meli MV. Spice Islander Ulikuwa Mkweche/TakaTaka!

MV Spice Islander ikiwa Honduras kabla ya kufika Tanzania

MV Spice Islander ikijazwa mizigo katika bandari ya Dar au Zanzibar?

MV Spice Islander bandarini Zanzibar mwaka jana

Wadau, habari ya kuzama kwa meli MV Spice Islande imekuwa habari ya kimataifa. Inaelekea kuwa hiyo meli MV Spice Islander ilikuwa meli ambayo isingeruhusiwa kufanya kazi katika nchi za magharibi kutokana na ubovu wake. Meli iliundwa mwaka 1967 huko Ugiriki. Imefanya kazi katika nchi kadhaa na kuhribika mara kadhaa kabla ya kufika Tanzania. Ilikuwa na majina, Mariana, na Apostolos P kabla ya kuitwa Spice Islander I nchini Honduras. Hapa Tanzania, uchu wa pesa  na kujaza hiyo meli nzee kupindukia imesabisha meli iseme, mie basi tena, bora nizame kuliko niendelee!   Halafu cha kuchekesha zaidi eti serikali ya Zanzibar inasema kuwa hawajui nani anamiliki hiyo meli!   Kwa hiyo hela ya nauli, mizigo ilikuwa inaenda kwa nani? Mwenye meli alikuwa halipi kodi? Soma habari zifuatazo.

Mungu alaze roho za waliokufa mahala pema mbinguni. AMEN.

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"We have regularly featured disasters such as this, usually in the poorer regions of the world when vessels, often rejected by Western countries for reasons of safety, unreliability or age, are snapped up for use in areas unsuited to them. In this case it seems clear that safety measures regarding maintenance and load levels were simply ignored, presumably in the name of profit, leading to yet another avoidable tragedy. "

MV Spice Islander Debris Field off the coast of Zanzibar

Awful Tanzanian Vessel Death Toll Could Have Been Worse

TANZANIA – Once again we are witness to tragedy when the MV Spice Islander, a freight and passenger RoRo (roll on/roll off) ferry travelling between the offshore islands of Unguja and Pemba in the Zanzibar archipelago lost power whilst traversing the dangerous waters off the coast of Zanzibar. The strong currents in the area apparently caused the overloaded vessel to capsize and the current death toll stands at around 200.

The disaster however could have been much worse as reports state that the ferry was carrying a complement of in excess of 800 souls plus a quantity of cargo, her official capacity is reported as 645 plus 45 crew. The bodies, recovered from the water are being taken to a local football stadium, include many children. Some reports state that the vessel was listing before she embarked causing some passengers to leave her prior to departure from Unguja. There are no reported tourist deaths as yet, most prefer local speedboats to the slower ferry service.

We have regularly featured disasters such as this, usually in the poorer regions of the world when vessels, often rejected by Western countries for reasons of safety, unreliability or age, are snapped up for use in areas unsuited to them. In this case it seems clear that safety measures regarding maintenance and load levels were simply ignored, presumably in the name of profit, leading to yet another avoidable tragedy.

Spice Islander is a Ro-Ro ferry of 836 gross tonnes was built in Greece in 1967 as Marianna. She was renamed Apostolos P following a sale in 1988 before being sold to a Honduran company in 2007 and renamed. She had been in trouble before when, in 2007, she broke down off the Somali coast reportedly due to fuel contamination. On that occasion she was aided by a patrolling US naval vessel which resupplied her with fuel. Speaking earlier today, the UK’s Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham said:

“I was deeply saddened by news of the ferry disaster off Tanzania earlier today which claimed the lives of so many people. On behalf of the British Government, I would like to extend my deepest sympathy to those affected and their families.

“When I visited Tanzania in May I was struck by how close the relationship is between our countries and the warmth and friendship of the Tanzanian people. At this difficult time, our thoughts are with the people of Tanzania as they come to terms with this terrible tragedy.”

SOURCE: http://www.handyshippingguide.com/shipping-news/another-major-freight-and-passenger-roro-ferry-disaster_3063

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Kutoka IPPMedia.com

Death toll reaches 240, search continues


By Mwinyi Sadallah

12th September 2011
Zanzibar residents bury the body of one of the passenger who died after MV Spice Islanders capsized on Saturday. The burial ceremony took place in Kama area in the Isles, yesterday. (Photo: Khalfan Said)The death toll in the Zanzibar marine accident which involved MV Spice Islander boat yesterday rose to 240 people, as more bodies were pulled from the ocean.

The Zanzibar Police Commissioner Mussa Ali Mussa gave the figure here yesterday when briefing the Inspector General of Police Said Mwema on the accident who was accompanied by Tanzania People’s Defence Forces Chief General Davis Mwamunyange.

IGP Mwema said the government has decided to bring in rescuers from abroad to assist in the search for any more bodies trapped in the boat.

Zanzibar government said MV Spice Islander was overloaded before it capsized at Nungwi area in Zanzibar.

Speaking to journalists here yesterday Minister of State, Second Vice President Office Mohammed Aboud Mohammed said that the boat had the capacity of carrying 600 passengers and 500 tonnes of cargoes.

But according to the passenger’s manifest 610 passengers boarded the boat at Zanzibar port while 166 boarded at Dar es Salaam port including 65 children.

He said government has also decided to bury 39 people who were not identified.They were buried at Kama area in Unguja –West district.

He added that the government has also prepared 134 graves at Kama area which will be used to bury people who will not have been identified by their relatives.

He further explained that Maisara Disaster Centre which was established for relatives to identify bodies has been closed and other bodies which will be recovered will be buried immediately, noting that records will be kept for searching relatives.

The government will today hold a special prayer at Maisara grounds for the people who died in the accident and the victims. The prayers will be led by Zanzibar President Dr Ali Mohamed Shein.

He however said that the captain of the ill-fated ship Said Kinyenyeta was yet to be found, but a technician with the vessel Injima Mkune was being questioned by police.

Meanwhile, the National Social Security Fund (NSSSF) has donated 13m/- to help in the rescue mission—out of which, 10m/- would go to the government and 3m/- to support burial activities.

The financial assistance was presented by NSSF Senior Public Relations Officer, Juma Kintu, who said the social security scheme was touched by the impact of the incident on people’s lives.

Zanzibar social security fund has contributed 10m/- which was presented by fund’s public relations officers, Raya Hamdani, while the mobile phone company, TIGO donated food worth 5m/- to the victims.

Minister Aboud said the Union government gave 300million/- to support activities and operations related to the tragic marine accident.

Meanwhile the Director of Zanzibar Port Authority, Mustafa Aboud Jumbe distanced himself from blame, saying the authority was not responsible in overseeing marine transport services (passengers and cargo).

Speaking to our sister newspaper, Nipashe yesterday, Jumbe said “This is the duty of the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA), which was established by the law to oversee marine and surface transport sectors.”
Sumatra stopped operations in Zanzibar after Members of the House of Representatives claimed that the authority was operating illegally, as marine transport services was not on the list of Union matters.

Efforts to get director of Zanzibar marine transport, Vuai Haji, did not bear fruit, as his mobile phone was not answered.

In July, this year, Minister of Communications and Transport, Hamad Masoud presented a special report in the House of Representatives, defending marine transport facilities in Zanzibar, saying they did not pose any threat to the lives of travellers.

The minister was responding to the growing public concerns, after seven ships plying Zanzibar developed technical faults.

Taifa Msibani, Umoja Wetu na Utu Wetu Shakani

Mh. Zitto Kabwe

Ndugu zangu wanawavuti salam kwenu, naomba mnifikishie ujumbe huu kwa watanzania. Shukrani zangu za dhati.

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(Nimeandika makala haya nikiwa katika Benchi la Hospitali ya Mnazi Mmoja hapa Zanzibar. Mniwie radhi kama kuna spelling mistakes kwani nilitaka hisia zangu ziwe as raw as possible -Zitto Zitto and not Zitto a politician).

Jana asubuhi tarehe 10 Septemba 2011 Taifa liligubikwa na habari za kushtusha za maafa. Mwanzoni taarifa zilisambaa kwamba zaidi ya watu 2000 walikuwa kwenye Boti MV Spice Islander lililopinduka na kuzama mbele kidogo ya Nungwi likielekea kisiwani Pemba.

Habari hazikuwa za uhakika sana kwani vyombo vyetu vya habari na hasa Televeshini ya Taifa havikuwa vikitoa habari juu ya ajali hii. Habari zilisambaa kupitia mitandao ya intaneti na kufuatia uchu wa habari nilianzisha #ZanzibarBoatAccident katika mtandao wa twitter ili tuweze kufuatilia kwa karibu habari zote za ajali hii.

Habari zilisambaa kuwa Televisheni ya Taifa ilikuwa inaonyesha muziki wa Taarab na Baadaye vipindi vingine vya kawaida bila kutoa habari kwa Umma kuhusu msiba huu.

Watanzania waliokoa wakiwasiliana kupitia twitter na facebook walikuwa na hasira sana na kituo cha TBC1 kutoonyesha au kupasha habari juu ya ajali hii. Mpaka saa moja jioni kituo hiki cha Televisheni ya Taifa kilikuwa kinaonyesha watu wakicheza muziki wa Kongo, wanawake wakikatika viuno na hata ngoma za asili. 'Hallo, washa TBC1 uone Televisheni yenu inachoonyesha' yalikuwa ni maneno ya Mwakilishi Ismael Jussa Ladhu aliponipigia kuonyesha kusikitishwa kwake na kituo hiki.

Mpaka jioni tulikuwa tumepata taarifa kuwa Watanzania wenzetu 198 walikuwa wamepoteza maisha. 570 hivi walikuwa wameokolewa. Binafsi nilipotembelea Hospitali ya Mnazi Mmoja niliweza kumwona Binti aliyeitwa Leyla, akisoma darasa la Nne huko kisiwani Pemba. Leyla alipona, aliokolewa. Nilimwambia leyla atapona na kurudi Shuleni. Mpaka ninapoandika tumeambiwa kuwa Watanzania 240 wamegundulika kupoteza maisha na zaidi ya 600 wameokolewa. Napenda kuwapongeza sana waokoaji wetu, wavuvi wa kijiji cha Nungwi na vijiji jirani, wamiliki wa mahoteli waliojitolea vifaa vyao kwenda kuokoa watu na wanajeshi wetu wa majeshi ya ulinzi na usalama kwa kazi hii kubwa ya kuokoa. Kwa kweli tumeokoa watu wengi kuliko ilivyotarajiwa. Serikali ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar imejitahidi sana, ilitulia na kuonyesha uongozi dhabiti katika juhudi za uokoaji.

Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania akafuta ziara yake huko Canada, ziara iliyokuwa imeandaliwa muda mrefu na kwa gharama. Lakini Rais aliona ni vema kupata hasara kuliko kuwa nje ya Nchi kipindi hiki. Hakutaka hata kumtuma Makamu wa Rais au Waziri Mkuu. Alifuta. Akatangaza siku 3 za kuomboleza. Hata hivyo waandaaji wa Miss Tanzania waliona hasara kubwa kuahirisha shindano la Urembo usiku huo. Wangepata hasara! Hata wafadhili wao Kampuni ya simu za mkononi ya vodacom ambao miongoni mwa waliofariki wamo wateja wa vodacom, waliendelea na shindano hili. Jumatatu, tarehe 12 Septemba 2011 ni siku ya khitma ya kuwaombea marehemu wetu. Nimeamua kutotumia simu ya ngu ya Voda kwa siku nzima, sina njia ya kuiadhibu Kampuni hii isipokuwa kugoma kutumia simu yao japo kwa siku moja kuonyesha kutoridhishwa kwangu na uamuzi wao wa kutojali msiba huu kwa Taifa.

Misiba huweka jamii pamoja. Msiba huu uliotokea Zanzibar ni jaribio kubwa kwa Umoja wa Taifa letu. Shirika la Utangazaji la Taifa limeshindwa jaribio hili la kudhihirisha Umoja wetu katika kipindi hiki. Nataraji wakubwa wa Shirika hili linaloendeshwa kwa kodi watawajibika au kuwajibishwa!

Jumla ya Majeruhi na marehemu sasa inafikia zaidi ya Abiria 800! Asubuhi ya jana 10 Septemba 2011 tuliambiwa na Serikali kwamba uwezo wa Boti la MV Spice Islander ilikuwa ni abiria 500 na wafanyakazi 12. Pia tumejulishwa kuwa boti hili lilikuwa la Mizigo na sio la Abiria. Natumai mara baada ya kumaliza maombolezo haya ya siku tatu Wakuu wa Mamlaka zinazohusika na usafiri wa Majini wa Serikali ya Mapinduzi Zanzibar watawajibika au kuwajibishwa. Mkuu wa Bandari ya Zanzibar Mustafa Aboud Jumbe na Waziri wa Miundombinu Hamad Masoud wanapaswa kufukuzwa kazi mara moja kama hawatawajibika wenyewe kwa kujiuzulu.

Kufukuzwa kwao kazi hakutarudisha ndugu zetu duniani bali itakuwa ni somo kuwa hatutarudia tena kufanya makosa yaliyoleteleza ajali kama hii.

Mwenyezimungu atupe subira wakati huu wa msiba mkubwa katika Taifa letu. Alaze roho za marehemu wetu mahala pema peponi na awape unafuu wa haraka majeruhi wetu.

Zitto Kabwe

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Kabwe Z. Zitto,MP- Kigoma North, Tanzania.
Chairman Parliamentary Public Investments Accounts Committee (POAC),
Deputy Secretary General CHADEMA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition,
Shadow Minister of Finance
Mobile: +255756809535
Blog: http://www.zittokabwe.com/

Picha za Ajali ya MV Spice Islander Septemba 10, 2011

The ship/ferry MV Spice Islander sank in choppy waters off the coast of Zanzibar this morning, Saturday, September 10, 2011. Here are some photos from various websites. It started its journey in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania then went to Zanzibar and way on its way to Pemba Island when it met its fate.

May the souls of the deceased Rest in Eternal Peace. Amen.

Hii ndo Meli MV Spice Islander. Picha hii ilipigwa mwaka 2007 ikiwa Zanzibar.

                                                   Survivors cling to a mattress

                                        Survivors spent seven hours in the water before being rescued.

                                     A man carries his deceased loved one

Survivor being taken for treatment

President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and President Dr. Shein of Zanzibar view bodies of children who died in the MV Spice Islander tragedy

Child Survivor being taken to shore

Zanzibar President Dr. Shein holds Press Conference on Ship Sinking

The bodies of Young children are brought to shore

                                             

Zanzibar President Dr. Shein assists in treating a Survivor

Body of Survivor is Brought to Shore

MV Spice Islander Survivors on a Life Boat waiting to be rescued