(CNN)-A man who survived a ferry capsizing in Tanzania described the harrowing ordeal that left six of his relatives dead and the East African nation mourning 224 people killed.
Ochori Burana said the ferry was overcrowded with hundreds of people headed to a popular open air market when it capsized Thursday on Lake Victoria.
Moments before the tragedy, the ferry made a sharp turn and tipped to one side, throwing people and cargo into the frigid water, Burana told the state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corp.
He jumped out just before it went down and clutched on to a car tire swaying in the waters. He used it to stay afloat for about 15 minutes until fishermen rescued him, he said.
Burana said he lost six relatives who were traveling with him.
As the nation mourned, relatives dug mass graves as colorful coffins lined the shores. Family members awaited word on their loved ones, some weeping as crews removed bodies from the waters.
Most of the remains have been identified and will be buried in one place, Transport Minister Isack Kamwele told CNN.
“Till this morning we have been able to pull out 223 bodies out of the sea,” he said Sunday. “The exercise is still going on, and at the moment we are trying to fix apparatus to lift the ferry out (onto) land.” Later on Sunday he said the number had risen to 224.