Skagit ferry capesized off Zanzibar

Skagit ferry Capesized   More than 100 people are missing, when the ferry Skagit capsized on route between Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania and Zanzibar with 281 passengers on board. The rescue boats and helicopters saved more than 150 people with slight injuries and recovered 25 bodies in the waters of Indian Ocean. The local authorities report that more than 100 people are still missing and the search and rescue operations were not able to find them. The accident happened, when strong winds and waves hit the board of the ferry and the got a water ingress into the compartments. The ship Skagit lost stability and capesized with all the people on board. According to the witness evidences the passengers and the crew had no time for reaction, as the ship sank for a minutes. The local authorities continue the search and rescue operations in spite of the bad weather and heavy sea.

   The ferry Skagit was built in 1989 in the shipyard of Seattle, Washington. The ferry has length of 34.10 m, beam of 7.60 m and draft of 2.60 m.