Wednesday, July 18, 2012 -
9:01:00 PM -
More articles in
Accidents
Discuss 0 posts
Printable View
Tanzanian ferry with more than 250 people on board, including some foreigners, capsized and sank between the east African coast and the Zanzibar archipelago on July 18 2012. As of 0000 UTC July 19 31 dead bodies recovered and 145 people had been rescued, said the Tanzanian authorities. The ferry departed Dar es Salaam around midday, bound for Zanzibar island, went into rough seas and capsized, remaining afloat with bottom up. There were at least 31 children aboard, exact number of passengers remains unknown, between 250 and 300 people.
The Skagit was formerly a passenger-only vessel between Seattle and Vashon Island, Washington State Ferries sold the Skagit in 2011 for use in Tanzania. The MV Skagit and MV Kalama, built in 1989, were taken out of service in 2009 and eventually sold together for a total $400,000 to Scope Community Consultants of Port Coquitlam, B.C., according to an announcement by Washington State Ferries.
News agencies are giving different new names of the ferry, which was renamed after being delivered to Tanzania. Ferry had a working AIS transmitter, last signal is dated 14.07.12 04:30 UTC, at that date vessel was en route from Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam. AIS apparently wasn’t re-programmed and was giving the old name of the ferry Skagit WSF (standing for Washington State Ferries), US-flagged.
Skagit WSF IMO 8645284, GRT 308, built 1989, capacity 250 passengers. On a photo ferry Skagit WSF in better days in Seattle.
