/* */

PDA

View Full Version : Death toll in Djibouti sinking reaches 109



HeiGou
04-09-2006, 02:48 PM
Death toll in Djibouti sinking reaches 109

DJIBOUTI (Reuters) - Rescuers in Djibouti found 37 more bodies on Saturday from an overloaded boat that sank two days ago, bringing the death toll to 109 in one of the Red Sea nation's worst disasters, officials said.

The bodies were pulled out of the water near the port in Djibouti, where the wooden boat capsized on Thursday carrying some 250 people to an annual religious pilgrimage.

"We got these bodies because the water is calm," said Colonel Zachariah Ahmed Sheikh, a Djiboutian army officer in charge of the rescue.

Hospital officials had earlier said 41 bodies had been found, but later revised that down to 37.

Djiboutian rescuers, with divers and equipment from the American and French military and a helicopter, found the bodies after resuming the search when dawn broke.

All day long, rescuers plucked more corpses from the water and the search continued even when rain -- a relatively rare occurrence in Djibouti -- fell in the afternoon.

The victims died within 100 yards of the dock the boat sailed from as it was steaming to the town of Tadjoura, 22 miles northeast. It had three times the number of passengers it was built for crammed aboard.

© Reuters 2006.
Reply

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 06-29-2015, 03:10 PM
  2. Replies: 2
    Last Post: 10-24-2011, 05:22 PM
  3. Replies: 6
    Last Post: 04-10-2009, 04:43 PM
  4. Replies: 45
    Last Post: 08-25-2007, 07:31 AM
  5. Replies: 20
    Last Post: 10-14-2006, 06:06 PM
British Wholesales - Certified Wholesale Linen & Towels | Holiday in the Maldives

IslamicBoard

Experience a richer experience on our mobile app!