On Thursday 5^th July 2010, eighteen children drowned when their boat capsized on the territorial waters of Lake Victoria.

“We have a big tragedy here. Eighteen children out of 37 drowned’’ said Sengerema District Commissioner David Palangyo in an interview with journalists.

The boat was carrying 37 pupils all whom were Tanzanians and were from primary and pre-school, aged approximately between 5 and 14, and were from Lukungu village and were being ferried to their school on Itendele Island.

Two weeks ago in the neighboring Uganda, an overloaded boat capsized on the Ugandan side of Lake Albert overnight, killing at least 33 people.