KAMPALA: Twenty people died when a boat capsized in Ugandan waters on Lake Victoria on Wednesday morning, police said as rescuers and local residents searched for survivors.

"So far 20 people have been confirmed dead, and nine (9) rescued," the Uganda police force said on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X.

The boat was carrying charcoal, fresh food and fish when the accident occurred around 5:00 am (0200 GMT), the police said.

"The cause of (the) accident is attributed to overloading and bad weather," they added, saying that around 34 people were believed to be onboard.

"We appeal to members of the public who travel on waters to always wear life jackets and not to overload their vessels."

At least 26 people died in December 2020 when their boat sank on Lake Albert, which marks the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. That accident was blamed on bad weather.