378:). Approximately 145 passengers and crew drowned. The majority of the passengers were trapped in the lower decks and drowned. This included all of the mostly European first-class passengers, and 4 male students from Luwazi Mission School. No bodies were recovered. Approximately 49 people survived the disaster. This included approximately 33 African passengers who were on the deck, 2 Luwazi students, as well as 4 crew members who climbed out of the engine room window, floating to land on wreckage. The survivors made it to land Livingstonia's shores. The wreckage is still under Lake Malawi with the exact location still unknown.
57:
421:. Prior to the trip, 14 students were caught stealing peanuts from a barn at the school in July 1946. Their punishment was to dig an outhouse or face expulsion. All 14 students chose to return to their home village in spite of being advised by Ziba and others to accept the punishment. Six of the students bought tickets and boarded the ship whilst the remaining eight tried to find odd jobs to raise money for the tickets. Four of the six students perished in the wreck whilst two survived.
430:
inclement weather. The captain and the crew began disagreeing over concerns about severe weather, but the captain ordered the crew to continue towards their destination. According to the investigation he also ordered the main cargo hatch to be opened prematurely and made other poor decisions. This sentiment was shared by the ship's steward, Bemba Mpali, whose account of the story in a BBC article suggested that the captain may have been under the influence of
64:
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The second reason identified for the accident concerned the craftsmanship of the ship. The court questioned the ship surveyors, engineers, and managers. In a judgment read out by
Commander Hawke, he pointed to the design and construction of the ship which faulted the boat's designers and owners. They
407:
The story of civil servant
Rowland Samuel Ngosi has been retold in Malawi as an example of work ethic in the civil service. Notably, it was recounted by Vice-President Saulos Chilima at the Institute of Chartered Accountant in Malawi on September 16, 2021. Ngosi, a government accountant, was on board
446:
The captain's family and
Nyasaland Railway Company contested these findings in court through an appeal. Due to unknown reasons, the surviving African crew members' account changed soon after, compelling the court to annul the original results of the investigation. Therefore, Commander Furghanson was
429:
An investigation led by
Commander Hawke into the accident identified two major causes for the ship sinking. The first and primary reason was due to the decision of the ship's Captain Farguhanson not taking heed of inclement weather warnings from his crew. Some passengers also took notice of the
370:. When the ship got caught up in a storm, the ship's captain, Farguhanson ordered the crew to continue to their destination despite being warned about the inclement weather conditions. This resulted in a forceful wave hitting the ship and causing the boat to capsize and sink approximately 7
447:
cleared of the charges of negligent seamanship in the East
African Court of appeals. To date, there is no official explanation as to why the brand-new ship sank. Since then, many accounts and narratives about the causes of the shipwreck have risen, making it a cultural icon.
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claimed that the ship builders did not make sure that hatches and companion ways were watertight. Some crew members and passengers also questioned the seaworthiness of the ship. Some claimed it was too heavy on top, others claimed that the wood was not suitable for the lake.
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It was first launched as a passenger vessel on June 14, 1944, with tonnage exceeding 100 tons. World War II disrupted future voyages until the ship's first scheduled weekly passenger trips resumed on June 26, 1946 with great fanfare. The route of the ship was from
416:
The story of the Luwazi
Mission School students has been recounted by retired pastor, Patrick Ziba. Ziba was working as a schoolteacher at a mission school and recalled how four students from the Seventh-day Adventist school were among those that perished on the
408:
the ship carrying cash meant for the salaries of civil servants in three districts. When the ship sank, Ngosi swam across to
Florence Bay with the bag of money intact, ensuring that every civil servant in Rumphi, Karonga and Chitipa were paid their salaries.
265:
where it capsized and sank. The disaster resulted in 145 passengers and crew on board drowning. No remains of the bodies have been recovered. The sternwheel ferry disaster is the worst shipwreck in Malawi's (then the
British Protectorate of
386:
Passengers identified that died in the accident include
Captain Keith Ferguhanson, Mr and Mrs. Timcke, Mr. R. Duly, Mr & Mrs Healy. Others who perished included students from Blantyre Secondary School and Luwanzi Mission School.
346:
in the north. The ship had sailed three more times prior to capsizing during its fourth voyage. Due to the policies of the colonial administration, the passenger sections were segregated into cabins for Blacks, Whites and Asians.
257:) from 1944 to 1946. The ferry had a tonnage of 470 tons, was 140 feet (43 m) in length, 27 feet (8.2 m) in breadth, and had a twin crew. Equipped with a motor engine, it could travel up to a speed of 12
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in 1943 and then sent by train to Malawi for reassembly. During reassembly, an additional top deck was installed by the owners. This made the ship the largest ship built for service on Lake Malawi (then
261:(22 km/h; 14 mph). It was built to carry 315 passengers and 100 tons of cargo. On July 30, 1946, the ship set sail with 194 passengers on board. It was caught up in a storm near Chilumba in
674:
Hawkin, Tony. "The Artist Helen MacLaren, The
Society of Malawi Journal, Vol. 59, No. 2 (2006), pp. 35-39 Published by: Society of Malawi - Historical and Scientific Stable URL:
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including the narrative of Norton Thindwa, then a student from Blantyre Secondary School. The ship's second in command, R.C. Underwood, was not on the ship that day.
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s captain was Commander Keith Farguhanson, its second in command was Captain Flint, and First Officer was Mr. Underwood. It was mainly stationed in
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Many accounts and narratives about the shipwreck have risen making it a cultural icon. An account of the trip was highlighted in a segment by the
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642:"Stern Paddle Wheel VIPYA built by A. & J. Inglis Ltd. in 1942 for Nyasaland Railways Co, London, River Steamer"
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753:""Be a Rowland Ngosi," – Chilima's tells Malawi Accountants - Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi"
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Lee, Christopher, Malawian Literature after Banda and in the Age of AIDS: A Conversation with Steve Chimombo
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516:(novel)- A historical novel by Steve Chimombo about a sinking ship on the lake, loosely based on the MV
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768:"Adventist Review Online | Malawi Pastor, Turning 100, Regrets Boat Tragedy"
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The Lifbouy Relic from the ship has been preserved at the Karonga Museum gallery.
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711:"Nyasaland Railways". The Times (50665). London. 22 January 1947. col G, p. 8.
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being built, launched, and sailing until it sinks at Florence Bay (Chitimba).
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593:"BBC World Service - African Perspective, MV Vipya Lake Malawi Disaster"
731:"Malawi Veep Chilima's Rowland Ngosi story excites accountants at ICAM"
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505:(radio documentary) - Interviews with survivors and experts on the MV
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245:) was a motor vessel used as a passenger-cargo ship that sailed on
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509:, including Norton Thindwa, Steve Chimombo, September 13, 1996
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Many accounts and narratives about the shipwreck have risen.
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in Mangochi (formerly Fort Johnston) memorializes the event.
662:“Ship Sent by Train”, The Palestine Post, 18 January 1945
620:"Harland and Wolff - Shipbuilding and Engineering Works"
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A national monument, the Queen Victoria Clock tower in
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to be built in 1942. The ship was built in Scotland by
554:"MV Viypa 'Titanic of Malawi - Inside Guide to Malawi"
720:Nyasaland Times, Loss of MV Vipya, August 1, 1946
278:In order to cope with increasing lake traffic on
788:The Crown Colonist, Volume 17, Oct, 1947 p 556
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374:(13 km; 8.1 mi) near Florence Bay (
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16:Steam ship that capsized in Lake Malawi
298:, a subsidiary of Irish ship builders
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676:https://www.jstor.org/stable/29779213
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766:Andrew McChesney (23 January 2015).
691:"The history of MV Vipya in Malawi"
229:315 passengers; 100 tons of freight
362:set off on its fourth voyage from
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201:Petters Standard Design 600
847:Ships built by Harland and Wolff
644:. Clydeships.co.uk. 30 July 1946
465:Malawi Department of Antiquities
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822:Ships built on the River Clyde
595:. Bbc.co.uk. 13 September 1996
425:Investigation and court ruling
412:Luwazi Mission School students
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459:A sign in Mangochi along the
317:mountainous high terrain area
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442:Court inquiry and annulment
221:(22 km/h; 14 mph)
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284:Nyasaland Railways Company
482:References in pop culture
358:On July 30, 1946, the MV
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185:43 m (140 ft)
155:General characteristics
852:Ships built in Belfast
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770:. Adventistreview.org
46:Nyasaland Railway Co.
292:A & J Inglis Ltd
93:A & J Inglis Ltd
837:Transport in Malawi
403:Rowland Ngosi story
391:Survivor narratives
366:northward towards
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454:sinking memorials
304:Beira, Mozambique
300:Harland and Wolff
241:(also spelled MV
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280:Lake Malawi
270:) history.
247:Lake Malawi
107:Yard number
95:, Glasgow /
817:1942 ships
811:Categories
525:References
382:Passengers
364:Mbamba Bay
340:Monkey Bay
315:after the
309:Lake Nyasa
205:(450
198:Propulsion
168:cargo ship
131:In service
79:Monkey Bay
69:Monkey Bay
268:Nyasaland
251:Nyasaland
164:Passenger
472:Mangochi
376:Chitimba
332:Mangochi
226:Capacity
177:470 tons
115:Launched
83:Chilumba
827:Ferries
368:Karonga
296:Glasgow
274:History
263:Karonga
174:Tonnage
101:Belfast
89:Builder
28:History
512:2000:
501:1996:
432:brandy
419:Viphya
360:Viphya
288:Viphya
282:, the
255:Malawi
243:Viphya
182:Length
518:Vipya
507:Vipya
496:Vipya
452:Vipya
353:Vipya
344:Mwaya
324:'
321:Vipya
313:Vipya
259:knots
238:Vipya
219:knots
214:Speed
193:steam
75:Route
43:Owner
37:Vipya
776:2021
739:2021
699:2021
650:2021
628:2021
601:2021
562:2021
334:.).
160:Type
147:Fate
142:1946
134:1944
126:1944
118:1944
110:1043
33:Name
397:BBC
342:to
249:in
236:MV
217:12
203:bhp
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