Thirteen Ugandans drown in Lake Victoria during X-mas revelry

Kampala: At least 13 people drowned in Uganda's Lake Victoria, when sudden waves swamped them as they celebrated the Christmas holiday, Ugandan police said Tuesday.

"The victims were mainly youths who were swimming in the water before a strong wave engulfed them," police spokesman for the capital Kampala, Patrick Onyango, said.

"So far 13 bodies of people, who had gone to various beaches along Lake Victoria who had been merry making during Christmas, have been recovered."

Drownings are not uncommon in the vast inland waters of Lake Victoria, which lies just to the south of the capital, but police said they were shocked at the large number of victims in a single incident.

"This is the first time we are getting such big numbers - before it was isolated cases of one or two people," Onyango said.