Wreckage of MV Templar finally retrieved

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The operation to retrieve MV Templar from Lake Victoria has finally yielded results.

The Police Marine and UPDF teams were able to pull the wreckage from underneath the lake a few minutes to 5pm this evening.

The officers used steel cables tied on a tractor and excavator to pull the wreckage from the lake. At least half of the boat could be seen by the time of filing this story.

The officers have been working for the last five days to retrieve the wreckage of the boat and bodies believed to be trapped inside some of the rooms in the boat.

The ill-fated boat capsized on Saturday last week while ferry dozens of revelers from Gabba in Entebbe to K-palm beach in Mukono district for a party reportedly organised by Prince David Wasajja.

33 people are confirmed to have died while 27 others were rescued alive from the lake. At least 120 people are estimated to have been on the boat when it capsized.

Officials say they will do a thorough check inside for any possible bodies after fully towing the wreckage to the shore #LakeVictoriaBoatAccident @observerug pic.twitter.com/wLnKwCAi0C

— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) November 29, 2018

police and UPDF marine teams with the locals have successfully pulled the MV Templar wreckage to the main land. pic.twitter.com/Nb27hzUkr5

— Uganda Police Force (@PoliceUg) November 29, 2018

Divers are now searching o see if there any bodies still trapped inside the wreckage #LakeVictoriaBoatAccident @observerug pic.twitter.com/d2kme1mJBg

— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) November 29, 2018

Breakthrough, wreckage is now moving towards the shore #LakeVictoriaBoatAccident @observerug pic.twitter.com/5Km3E9abTk

— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) November 29, 2018

3 solid wire cables are being connected between the capsized boat and the two excavators at the lake shores . Attempt to retrieve wreckage should be starting any time from now #LakeVictoriaBoatAccident @observerug pic.twitter.com/9dHvs3yReb

— nicholas Bamulanzeki (@bamulanzeki) November 29, 2018

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