Survivor found alive inside capsized ferry in Tanzania two days after disaster claimed at least 167 lives

A survivor has been found inside a capsized Tanzanian ferry two days after the disaster on Lake Victoria, an official said Saturday, while coffins arrived for at least 167 victims and counting.

An engineer was found near the engine of the upturned vessel, Mwanza regional commissioner John Mongella said.

The survivor's condition was not immediately clear.

Search efforts continued around the ferry's exposed underside as families of victims prepared to claim the dead.

No one knows how many people were on board the ferry, which had a capacity of 101. Officials on Friday said at least 40 people had been rescued.

The government's chief secretary John Kijazi announced the rising death toll to reporters. The ferry's captain was arrested.

Tanzanian President John Magufuli said the captain is in custody and ordered the arrest of all the other operators of the ferry.

"This is a great disaster for our nation," Magufuli said, announcing four days of national mourning.

The badly overloaded ferry capsized in the final stretch before shore on Thursday afternoon as people returning from a busy market day shifted and prepared to disembark.

Horrified fishermen and other witnesses have expressed fear that more than 200 could have died.

Reporting by agencies