Senegal on Saturday commemorated the 18th anniversary of the sinking “Le Joola” ferry, off the coast of Gambia, which left 1,863 dead, according to the official report.
The event was marked by prayers and meditations in the cemeteries where the victims are buried, mainly in Ziguinchor, in the south of the country, Mbao, in the suburbs of Dakar and Bassore, in The Gambia.
The tragedy occurred on the night of 25 September, off the Gambia, about 40 kilometers from the coast, a few hours after the departure of the ferry from Ziguichor to Dakar, two cities to which it provided maritime connection.
Sixty-five survivors were rescued by Gambian fishermen, the first to arrive on the scene, who alerted the Senegalese authorities.
The sinking was mainly caused by the overloading of the ferry, which had 1,928 passengers and 44 crew on board, tripling its carrying capacity to 536 passengers, a situation made worse by a thunderstorm.
Among the victims were nationals of several African and European countries, including French and Dutch.
The Joola National Observatory, an organization that brings together the families of the victims, continues to call for the refloating of the ferry in order to mourn their loved ones.
It also calls for the effective care of 900 orphans out of the 1,500 declared “wards of the nation” and the construction of a “Joola Memorial”.
In 2003, Senegalese justice closed the case of tragedy, concluding that the only person responsible was the captain of the ferry ship, who disappeared in the tragedy.