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Momodou
Denmark
11681 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Nov 2007 : 18:23:33
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Seven People Die At Sea
By Bubacarr K. Sowe & Fabakary B. Ceesay
Seven people who were bound for Spain for better economic prospects have been found dead in a tributary that is connected to the River Gambia on Sunday, November 11.
Lieutenant Alagie Sanneh, spokesperson of The Gambia Armed Forces, said about 50 people were said to be in the boat which was supposed to ferry them to Spain. He said twenty people were reported missing including the seven corpses that have been found while the remaining thirty swam for safety. Sources told Foroyaa that the boat was hidden in the mangroves swamps behind mile two waiting to depart for Europe .It is reported that some of the passengers spent nearly a week at the location waiting for departure.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the fire accident happened when one of the travellers lit a match to search for his missing shoe in the boat. Reports have it that one of the fuel containers later caught flame. The source added that the man whose action led to the accident was burnt to dead while some of them died while trying to swim to the banks.
On Monday 12 November, family members of the deceased persons went to the mortuary to identify the bodies of their loved ones. They complained that the bodies have been poorly handled at the mortuary. However, Foroyaa approached the spokesman of the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) for comment, but he only said “We are not God, these people died about three days at sea”. The spokesman directed Foroyaa to the Chief Medical Director, but he or she could not be traced. The pungent odour from the dead bodies compelled people who were at the mortuary to use filter mask to cover their mouths and noses. Some of the identified bodies were taken away from the mortuary at the RVTH for burial. There was one unidentified body left at the mortuary. Some family members spend hours at the mortuary to wait for the arrival of their missing relatives who were presumed death.
Among the death are Omar Kinteh of Kinteh Kunda in Badibou, Ebrima Daru Minteh of Minteh Kunda also in Badibou, Lamin Wally from Tallinding, Amadou Hydara and Mamadi Ceesay from Badibou Kerewan.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 134/2007, 14 - 15 November, 2007
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