At least 20 dead after a ferry sinks in Central African Republic, witnesses say
By JEAN FERNAND KOENA
Associated Press
BANGUI, Central African Republic (AP) — Witnesses in Central African Republic say that at least 20 people have drowned after a ferry sank in the capital. Witnesses said Saturday that the wooden ferry was carrying more than 300 people to a funeral over the Mpoko River in Bangui on Friday when it started to collapse. Local boat pilots and fishermen were the first to react and rescued victims and collected bodies from the river before the emergency services arrived. The death toll is rising as the military takes over the search. The exact number of deaths is unknown and the government didn’t comment.