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Nearly 30 Passengers Die After Boat Accidents in Senegal and Gambia

We will be doing some travelling today for the daily post.  Almost 30 people have died in Senegal and Gambia after two boat accidents.  For reference, the image to the left displays the locations of Senegal and Gambia, two western Africa countries positioned along the coastline.

Twenty-one passengers died on Monday night after the “traditional flat-bottomed boat overturned off Bettenty, a central Senegal island area.”  Of the 72 people on board, all but two were women.  51 of the passengers were rescued after the boat flipped over, however, because of a lack of life jackets and a lack of ability to swim, 21 of the passengers died. The 72 passengers were “on their way to look for seafood, and the incident occurred in a coastal are
a well known for delicacies like oysters, where tourists flock in large numbers.”  The boat that they were using was a pirogue, which allows them to travel between islets and mangroves. 

The other disaster happened in the River Gambia on Monday night.  The Banjul police spokesman, Foday Conta, reported, “Eight fishermen died yesterday night after their boat capsized…in the Upper River Region of the country.  They were on board a fishing canoe.”  The River Gambia flows right through the middle of Gambia.  Some media sources reported that their canoe capsized due to high winds while others claimed that the boat was overloaded. 

Maritime accidents in Senegal and Gambia are “often deadly as fishermen and ordinary citizens use canoes or makeshift boats to travel.” 

While it may be difficult to compare maritime laws between different nations, it is important to know what to do in an emergency.  Click here for some great information about what to do in a legal situation while on the water.  The maritime page goes into great detail on a variety of legal remedies, the different forms on compensation for a seaman injured aboard a ship, and more.  Attorney shareholder, James Gooding, is also a great source for any maritime related injury case questions or concerns.  Feel free to reach out to him by his personal email listed on his profile page or by phone at 206.448.1992.

 

For more information, follow the link below:

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-4445056/Almost-30-die-Senegal-Gambia-boat-accidents.html

Nearly 30 Passengers Die After Boat Accidents in Senegal and Gambia

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