47 die after boat capsizes on Lake Malawi

22 Jun 2012, 11:26 pm   -   Source: AAP

At least 47 Ethiopians have died after the boat they were in capsized on Lake Malawi in southern Africa.

At least 47 Ethiopians died after the boat they were in capsized on Lake Malawi in southern Africa, the United Nations said.

The boat left Tanzania on Sunday and appears to have capsized shortly thereafter. People living on the lake's shore began to find bodies on Monday and the Malawian police became involved on Wednesday, according to the UN agency for refugees (UNHCR) on Friday.

Three people have been arrested on suspicion that they were helping the migrants to travel illegally.

Six people survived the accident and were being interviewed by Malawian authorities.

Lake Malawi, one of the world's largest lakes with a length of more than 500km and 75km-wide, sits between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania.

Many people leave East Africa for other regions, including South Africa, in the hope of finding jobs or escaping persecution. Many of the boat's passengers were thought to be driven by the same motive.

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