(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.

Rescuers retrieve a body Friday from the water near Ukara Island on Lake Victoria in Tanzania.

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.

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