DAR ES SALAAM, July 22 (Reuters) -
Authorities in Zanzibar said on Sunday that 145 people had been killed in last
week's ferry disaster in the Indian Ocean, a day after the operation to find
survivors was called off.
The overcrowded MV Skagit/Kalama, which had also been carrying some
foreigners, was en route to Zanzibar, a popular tourist destination, from
mainland Tanzania last Wednesday when it capsized and sank.
"We have recovered five more bodies today, bringing the total number of
bodies found so far to 73. The ferry had 290 people onboard and 145 were
rescued, which means that 72 people are still unaccounted for," Mohammed Mhina,
a spokesman for Zanzibar police, told Reuters.
"It has now been four days since the ferry capsized - it's impossible to find
any more survivors. Those who are still missing are presumed dead, so the
ongoing operation is for the recovery of bodies rather than a search for
survivors."
Police said they had arrested six suspects on Sunday as part of an
investigation into the ferry disaster.
"The owner of the boat, Saidi Abdulrahman, and the captain of the vessel who
survived the accident, Mussa Makame Mussa, and four other crew members have been
arrested," said Mhina.
"Investigations into the cause of the accident are still proceeding and the
suspects will be taken to court if found with a criminal case to
answer."
On Friday, riot police clashed with supporters of a separatist Islamist group
in Zanzibar who had gathered at a mosque to pray for victims of the
disaster.
Police said they had arrested 43 members of the Uamsho (Awakening) group
following the violence.
Some of the victims' relatives have vented anger at the authorities for what
they say were lax safety regulations which did not appear to have been improved
since last September when more than 200 people were killed in another ferry
accident in what was Zanzibar's worst maritime disaster.
(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by Yara Bayoumy and Andrew Osborn)-Reuters Africa.
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