Marine Police units, supported by local divers, fishermen, and community volunteers, continued intensive search and rescue operations along the River Nguse on Wednesday morning. Officers deployed small patrol boats and handheld torches to navigate strong currents and debris-filled sections of the river, particularly downstream areas where visibility remains low due to murky waters and overhanging vegetation. 

Authorities confirmed that the absence of a passenger manifest has complicated efforts to establish the exact number of those on board and those still unaccounted for. A police spokesperson said operations were being scaled up despite difficult terrain. "We are deploying all available marine units to locate survivors and recover those missing,” the spokesperson said.

Eyewitnesses described a sudden overturn of the overloaded canoe shortly after it departed a landing point near Kikuube District. Ouma Odongo, a local fisherman who was operating nearby, said the vessel appeared unstable before it capsized. "The boat was heavily loaded and tilted as it entered a bend in the river. Within moments, it flipped and people were screaming for help,” he said, speaking near the riverbank where residents gathered.

At nearby landing sites, families assembled in large numbers awaiting news of relatives, many standing in silence or speaking in low tones as search teams moved in and out of the water. Anena Ojara, a resident who arrived at the scene early Wednesday, said uncertainty had deepened anxiety among families. "No one knows who survived. People are crying and calling names along the river. Night travel on this river has always been feared,” she said.

Accidents on Uganda’s inland waterways remain frequent, particularly on routes linking fishing communities and trading centers around Lake Albert and Lake Victoria. Authorities have repeatedly cited overloading, poor vessel maintenance, and unsafe night navigation as leading causes of such incidents. Past tragedies include fatal capsizing events on Lake Victoria in 2023 and 2018, as well as the MV Nyerere ferry disaster in Tanzanian waters that claimed hundreds of lives, underscoring persistent regional safety challenges.

A senior police official told Diplomat News Network that preliminary findings suggest multiple risk factors may have contributed to the Nguse River accident, including overcrowding and limited vessel regulation in rural transport corridors. 

"Early indications point to a combination of overloading and lack of enforcement on passenger limits,” the official said. Authorities have urged stricter compliance with safety standards, improved vessel registration, and enhanced monitoring of river transport operators. 

The incident has renewed concerns over passenger safety in remote river crossings where transport remains largely informal and lightly regulated, leaving communities dependent on ageing and locally constructed boats for daily movement.