The still provisional toll of the sinking of a small ferry off Gabon on March 9 rose to 28 dead and nine missing following two bodies were recovered on Wednesday, the public prosecutor of Libreville announced.
Thirteen days following the tragedy, of the 161 occupants of the Esther Miracle officially registered on board when it set sail for the oil port of Port-Gentil on the night of March 8 to 9, 124 were rescued alive.
This mixed passenger and freight ship from the private company Royal Cost Marine (RCM) sank in the middle of the night 10 km from the coast. The research “has led to the discovery of two female bodies”, prosecutor André Patrick Roponat told the public television channel Gabon Première.
On Friday, the magistrate announced the arrest of 33 people since the tragedy as part of a criminal investigation to determine the causes of the sinking, in particular officials from the Ministry of Transport, the Merchant Navy and RCM executives.
The ship, whose date of construction is unknown, was inaugurated on this line in November following being modified to accommodate passengers. Its dilapidation, as well as its unsuitability for transporting passengers, have been questioned in particular by local media, families and civil society groups.
Castaways have also testified in various media that they were not guided by the crew during the evacuation, remained in the water clinging to rescue inflatable boats that were taking on water or to their lifebuoys, long hours before the arrival of first aid, in particular a barge from a private company, despite the proximity of Libreville.
The sinking took place not far from the entrance to the gulf which shelters the capital.
“There is too much negligence, compromise, privileges and small arrangements, the transport sector is particularly concerned, whether maritime, land or rail,” Prime Minister Alain-Claude Bilie said on Friday. -By-Nze, promising “administrative sanctions without prejudice to criminal sanctions”.
“I also note with regret that the phenomenon of corruption in our administration is becoming worrying,” concluded the head of government, the day following the resignation of the Minister of Transport, Brice Paillat.
Source: Africanews
