By DPA
Johannesburg : Passengers aboard a floating restaurant on a dam near South Africa’s administrative capital, Pretoria, were forced to jump overboard when the boat capsized.
Panic broke out after some of the around 74 passengers on board what was described as a “booze cruise” realised something was wrong with the vessel, they told South African media Wednesday.
Some of the passengers jumped into the water and made for the shore a short distance away. Others were rescued from the sinking boat by other boats in the vicinity.
One man suffered deep cuts to one leg and a paraplegic lost his wheelchair, according to SAPA news agency. Both were taken to hospital.
Rescue services said they were waiting for a passenger list from the boat’s owner to know whether everyone had made it to safety. They found 42 people ashore and no people in the water leading them to conclude the other passengers had simply gone home.
The cause of the accident was not known. Authorities said it looked as if the boat had hit rocks. The boat owner accused the passengers of tipping the boat by crowding to the front.