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The accident occurred between two islands of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, straddling the borders of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
According to local media, the exact number of people on board was not immediately known because the ferry was overcrowded.
The reports varied but the ferry would have carried between 400 and 500 people, local media reported.
On Thursday night, emergency crews took 37 people out of the water during a rescue operation that was interrupted due to poor visibility on the scene.
Regional Commissioner John Mongella told Tanzanian local TV channel ITV that emergency teams will continue their search in the morning.
Boat disasters are common in Tanzanian waters, where ferries often exceed their capacity.
The boat had a capacity of 620 passengers but carried more than 1,000 people.
