50 die as boat capsizes
03/08/2007 14:03  - (SA)  

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Freetown - At least 50 people are dead and 148 others are missing after a coastal ferry capsized overnight in rough seas off northern Sierra Leone, says a port official.

"According to the report we received, 50 people perished, two were rescued while 148 others remain unaccounted for," said the official, who asked not to be named for protocol reasons.

A local radio reporter in the area confirmed the accident.

Alex Koroma, a station manager for Radio Kolenten, said the boat met "hostile weather near a coastal village called Bailor at 22:00 resulting in the catastrophe."

The ports authority official in the capital said the boat was heading from Freetown to Rokumi village when it ran into a storm.

The vessel, named Amunafa and powered by outboard motors, regularly ferried goods and people between Sierra Leone's coastal towns and villages.

At the time of the accident, it also had in addition to the 200 passengers, some 300 huge bags of rice on board.

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