Tanzania President orders arrests over Lake Victoria ferry disaster

Witnesses said the ferry sank when passengers rushed to one side to disembark as it approached the dock. [Photo: AFP]

Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Friday ordered the arrest of the management of a ferry that capsized in Lake Victoria, as the death toll climbed to 131 and rescue workers pressed on with the search to find scores more people feared drowned.

The MV Nyerere may have been carrying as many as 200 passengers -- double the ferry's capacity -- when it capsized close to the pier on Ukara Island on Thursday, according to reports on state media.