700 feared dead in tragic ferry accident in Senegal

can't believe no one has posted this yet. I did a search and couldnt find a thread on it. this just happened last night. how awful for the people of Senegal.






Senegal mourns ferry victims




DAKAR, Senegal -- Senegal is observing three days of mourning for up to 700 people feared killed when a passenger ferry overturned in a storm.

Le Joola, a state-run Senegalese ferry, capsized side shortly before midnight on Thursday.

Media reports said it was carrying 796 passengers and crew even though it was designed to bear fewer than 600.

Only 60 people are known to have escaped, clinging to the vessel for two hours before fishing boats rescued them.

Throughout Friday dive teams recovered bodies and believe the corpses of hundreds of others remain trapped inside the ferry, which was floating on its side in the water.

Mamadou Diop Thioune, a coordinator of a French-funded marine centre told the Associated Press: "Now, I'm afraid, it's a matter of recovering bodies."

As search teams brought back the first of the bodies so far recovered on Saturday, survivors spoke of the moment disaster struck.

"It was horrible, because we were hearing people screaming from underneath," said one survivor, Senegalese Moussa Ndong, speaking from his hospital ward.

"The boat went down so fast. It was so unbelievable -- in just three minutes, the boat went down."

So far, 41 bodies have been recovered, all believed to be Senegalese although two Europeans -- their country of origin not known -- were among them, military police commandant Matar Kane told AP.

The 79 metre-long Joola had recently returned into service after long repair.

Some witnesses claimed it already had been listing heavily on one side when it headed out from the southern Senegalese region of Casamance, bound for Dakar.

Senegal Prime Minister Mame Madior Boye said: "The boat underwent a technical inspection on September 23.

"I want to say, according to the information we have at this time, it was the rain and the wind, natural phenomenon, following a storm, and the boat capsized.

"For the moment, the condition of the boat is not suspected."

Frigate captain El H. Habibou Faye said: "Concerning the conditions, the circumstances of the accident, it was completely due to bad weather, technical problems cannot be blamed.

"The crew of this ship was hand-picked by the national marines.

"The commander of the ship had extensive experience, 21 years of service, and he also was hand-picked to command this boat. The national marines would not pick just anyone to serve on this ship."

Le Joola was constructed in Germany and was launched in 1990.

Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade, who cut short a trip to France, has pledged a full investigation.

 

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Technically,


acrossTitoPuenteWay.



good eye though.