Boat capsize in W Africa, dozens feared drowned

Freetown, Aug 4: Dozens of people were feared drowned after a boat carrying an estimated 120 people capsized in heavy rain at the mouth of a river in Sierra Leone, the West African country's navy said today.

At least five passengers survived, including two youths who managed to swim ashore in rough waters, said naval commander Mohammed Mansaray.

''We have three naval vessels involved in the search together with support from fishermen and members of the Sierra Leone Boat Owners Association,'' Mansaray told the sources.

He said many bodies had been carried off by the rough tide, though they may still be found at the banks of the Great Scarcies river, near Sierra Leone's northern border, at whose mouth the boat capsized.

Mansaray said authorities believed there had been around 120 people on the boat, fewer than the 200 estimated earlier. He said the craft had been overloaded with cargo.

He said 10 bodies had been recovered and the search was continuing.

Police in the northern Kambia district estimated around 50 people had died based on accounts from survivors.

The boat, which was en route from the coastal capital Freetown to the riverside town of Rokupr, capsized when it ran into the choppy river waters, swollen by a week of torrential rains, officials said.

''Members of the Sierra Leone navy, backed by some members of the boat association, left in the early hours for the disaster scene to join local fishermen who have been searching since the tragedy took place,'' said Michael Asuman, spokesman for the Sierra Leone Boat Owners Association.

Authorities say heavy rains have washed away scores of homes in the hilly Freetown area over the last week, leaving more than 500 people on the streets.

Boating accidents are common during Sierra Leone's rainy season. Some 25 people drowned in July last year when a wave overturned their boat at the mouth of the Great Scarcies river.

Many of the vessels plying trade and passenger routes on inland waterways and off West Africa's coast are poorly maintained, with accurate passenger manifests a rarity.

Reuters>