In the Central African Republic, several dozen people died in the sinking of a barge. The boat, also called a whaleboat, was overloaded. The tragedy occurred on the M’poko river, southwest of Bangui.
3 mins
With our correspondent, Rolf Stève Domia-Leu
In the middle of the water, shoes, clothes and debris are scattered around the pulverized boat. Several hours after the deadly shipwreck, a team of canoeists set out to discover the wreckage of the whaling boat. This boat, 20 meters long and 3 meters wide, mainly built of wood, has been in operation for around ten years, according to witnesses.
And even if the M’poko river is rough this Saturday, rescuers are continuing their search. “ We have already recovered around ten dead bodies, most of them women and children. It is the overload and the obsolescence of the boat which are at the origin of the tragedy », Explains one of them. Firmin is a canoeist. “ There were more than 300 people in the whaleboat. They were going to the Mokola village to bury their leader. It’s 100 m after its departure that the whaleboat broke in two due to overload “, he says.
Without adequate means of rescue, canoeists and residents mobilized to try to save the shipwrecked people. “ We had dispatched around ten canoes to the site of the shipwreck, but the victims were numerous. Some of us swam to save women and children », says the canoeist.
More than 100 injured people were evacuated with the means at hand to hospitals. Merci is in shock. “ Some victims died on the way and others in hospital. What happened is truly terrifying. I know a family who lost seven members in this tragedy “, he explains. The capital’s hospitals have been welcoming dozens of survivors since Saturday, but the toll is likely to rise in the coming hours.
“Since the shipwreck, I haven’t slept a wink”
On the bank, emotion is strong. Her eyes red with tears, Priscilla, a survivor, is inconsolable. “ I was in the whaling boat when it split in two. Sheet metal, boards and pieces of roof fell. As you see, I have injuries to my back and head, I swam several meters before being rescued by the canoeists “, she testifies.
Sitting in the grass, Franklin has not yet found the body of his pregnant wife. “ My wife went missing while expecting a baby. It’s terrible and since the shipwreck, I haven’t slept a wink. I lost my little familye,” he laments.
If the government promises an investigation, residents and parents of victims denounce the lack of adequate equipment for relief, but also the lack of upstream control to avoid this type of tragedy.
Read alsoCAR: a tragic shipwreck of a whaling boat on the M’poko river causes dozens of deaths