Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Monday 24 SepteMber 2018

Burials begin as deaths from capsized ferry rise to 224

By FRED OOKO ing very bad. I thank God
GEOFFREY KAVITI I have found my wife, but
Associated Press the child is still missing. So
UKARA ISLAND, Tanzania God has every plan.”
(AP) — Relatives wept in Chibuga described how
grief on Sunday at the mass he survived when the boat
burial in Tanzania of many capsized.
of the 224 people who “I heard people shouting
drowned when a ferry in ‘Accident, accident!’ I was
capsized on Lake Victoria. seated with my bag. I put it
Colorfully painted coffins on my chest, removed my
were lined up to go into phone and put it in my bag,
graves on Ukara Island. and then jumped. After I
Grieving family members jumped, I found a lifesaver,
places wreaths of flowers grabbed it and that’s how I
on the coffins. escaped.”
The overloaded boat Identifications have been
tipped over Thursday as made for 172 people who
it got to about 50 meters died in the boat trag-
(55 yards) from the island’s edy, Tanzania’s Minister
dock. People carrying their of Works, Transport and
goods from a busy market Communication Isack Ka-
day prepared to disem- Coffins of some of the victims of the MV Nyerere passenger ferry capsizing are laid into graves mwelwe said. The bodies
bark, unbalancing the ferry during a mass burial ceremony on Ukara Island, Tanzania, Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018. of 37 others have not yet
which turned over. Horri- Associated Press been identified, he told the
fied fishermen and others searching for his daughter. her,” said Magesa Chibu- be lifted from the water so broadcaster. At least 40
watched from the shore. “My child might have been ga, in Swahili. “I am there- that I can see whether she people were rescued, offi-
One survivor said he is still found, but I have not seen fore waiting for this ferry to is there or not. But I am feel- cials said.q

Chinese navy hospital ship docks in Venezuela amid crisis

the attention of the U.S. own hospital ship, the USNS and Brazil.
and other world powers. Comfort, to neighboring But top officials in Venezu-
Defense Minister Vladimir Colombia to provide free ela’s socialist government
Padrino was on hand to medical treatment for thou- saw the Comfort’s deploy-
greet the People’s Libera- sands of Venezuelan mi- ment as a threat, part of an
tion Army Navy’s ship, the grants fleeing their homes effort by the U.S. to pave
Peace Ark, on its latest stop amid widespread food and the way for a military inter-
as part of the 11-nation medicine shortages. U.S. vention on humanitarian
“Mission Harmony” tour an- Defense Secretary Jim Mat- grounds.
nounced in June. tis, in a visit to Colombia last Padrino on Saturday said
“This is how you undertake month, called the ship’s the Chinese boat’s visit was
diplomacy in the world,” deployment a humanitar- part of the government’s
Padrino said, “with con- ian mission to deal with the “strategic defense opera-
Venezuelan dancers welcome the arrival of Chinese navy crete actions of coopera- fallout of President Nicolas tion.”
hospital ship “ The Peace Ark” docked at the port in la Guaira, tion and not stoking the Maduro’s mismanagement The Peace Ark’s humanitar-
Venezuela, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2018. false voices of those who of the economy. The United ian tours around the world
Associated Press beat the drum of war.” Nations estimates that 2.3 have become a sign of
By CLBYBURN SAINT JOHN ship docked near Venezu- Interest in the goodwill visit million Venezuelans have China’s outreach efforts
Associated Press ela’s capital on Saturday as has been building since fled the crisis-torn country and Beijing’s ambitions of
LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) the OPEC nation’s deepen- the Pentagon announced in recent years, mainly to gradually expanding its mil-
— A Chinese navy hospital ing economic crisis garners in August it was sending its Colombia, Ecuador, Peru itary influence abroad.q