The death toll from the sinking of a ferry that occurred on Thursday off the coast of Libreville, the capital of Gabon, has risen to six dead, the Gabonese government announced in a press release on Sunday.
According to the latest official report, the tragedy has already claimed the lives of six people and led to the disappearance of 31 others, while 124 people have been rescued.
A ferry, called “Ester miracle” of the Royal Coast company, sank Thursday at 3:58 a.m. local time, off Libreville, according to the government. This mixed passenger and freight vessel linked Libreville to Port-Gentil, the economic capital of the country.
Search operations are still continuing, the government said.
According to passengers who alerted their relatives quoted by local media, the ship suddenly suffered damage some time following leaving Libreville. The crew attempted to turn back to the home port, without success.
The ship was relatively new, according to a source close to the company, quoted by local media.
