Hundreds feared dead in ferry disaster

Hundreds of people were feared drowned after a Senegalese passenger ferry capsized off the coast of The Gambia in a violent storm, sources told IRIN on Friday. The ferry, Le Joola, shuttled between the Senegalese capital, Dakar, and Ziguinchor, capital of the southern region of Casamance. It was carrying more than 700 passengers when it sank, after rolling on its side during a violent storm, at about 23:00 GMT on Thursday. Sources in the office of the Governor in Ziguinchor, told IRIN that the ferry capsized when it had 795 passengers on board. The office was yet to compile a list of those missing. Prime Minister Mame Madior Boye announced on Friday morning that the government had launched a rescue operation, according to local radio broadcasts. The PanAfrican News Agency (PANA) reported later in the day that 32 survivors and 41 bodies had been found so far. Le Joola had been out of service for over a year from August 2001 because of trouble with one of its engines and only resumed service on 10 September. The ferry was popular with traders travelling to and from Dakar and the troubled Casamance region, which is considered the breadbasket of Senegal. Other travelers who wanted to avoid risks on the roads, including landmines also used the boat. Casamance, a region of southern Senegal separated from the bulk of the country by The Gambia, has witnessed a low-level conflict since 1982. A government delegation met officials of the armed Mouvement des Forces Democratiques de Casamance (MFDC) in Ziguinchor earlier this month in the latest effort to secure lasting peace.