At least 58 people have drowned after a ferry carrying passengers capsized in a river in the Central African Republic. Eyewitnesses gave this information on Saturday. It is being told that the wooden boat carrying about 300 people was crossing the Mapoko River passing through the capital Bangui on Friday when the accident occurred. Local boatmen and fishermen were the first to start the rescue operation.
Officials at Bangui University Hospital said the death toll was rising as the military’s search operation expanded. The boat was carrying more than 300 people to attend a funeral in a village through a river in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. But 58 of them died, an official said on Saturday.
Fear of increasing death toll
“We were alerted 40 minutes after the incident and rescue workers managed to recover about 58 dead bodies,” civil protection department head Thomas Jimasse told Reuters. More people were feared possibly drowned in the Mpoko River, he said in a telephone interview, adding that the search was ongoing. Called for better compliance with river transport safety rules. The death toll is now expected to increase. There are reports of more than 300 people aboard the boat. A large number of people are reported missing. Relief and rescue work is being done on the spot. (Reuters)
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