Eleven people died on Thursday when a canoe transporting Mauritanian and Senegalese citizens to Mauritania capsized in the River Senegal, AFP reported, quoting l'Agence senegalaise de presse. Five of the victims were from a Senegalese family while the six others were Mauritanians, AFP said.
Another 12 persons swam to safety. No reasons were given for the accident. However, the boat was carrying two mt of cement and various other products along with the 23 passengers, AFP said. Boat accidents are common in the River Senegal, which separates the two countries. The river is used for both travel and fishing.
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