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The shipwreck of the "Joola"

The boat " the Joola " capsized the Thursday, September 26th, 2002 in the sea, near the the Gambian coasts. A lot of people died but the Gambians and the Senegalese who were nearby saved sixty four ( 64 ) persons.

All the senegalese were troubled. The Minister for Transport and the Minister for Army resigned. The President Wade said that the senegalese should be more conscious and responsible.

Some states like The Gambia, The Unites States of America and France helped us in this big tragedy to understand why this happened and how to accept it.

All the moslims and christians organized a lot of prayers for the victims. After that a soccer match between Senegal and Nigeria was organized and the shipwreckers' families received a lot of momey for donation from the players. But nothing can replace all those lives ( 1200 people )

Soukeyna Fatma Diène

"The Joola"

Friday, 27th September 2002 was bad. What's happened? Our biggest boat " LeJoola", which did the travel between Dakar and Ziguinchor sank off the Gambian coast, Thursday night with inside 1034 passengers. They were men, momen, children, many students and teachers. It was a big tragedy that Friday moning many persons went to the International Port of Dakar for having other news concerning the boat. The victims' relatives were sad. At 7:00 pm, twelve containers came with corpses. Before that, The Prime Minister and other state officials went to the Port to be with them, waiting for other news. The President declared 3 days for a national mourning and he said that the guilty will be punished. The TV showed horrible images. Senegal will never forget that day.

Aminata Gaye Tall

Terrible and tragic event

The 26th September 2002, at night, Senegal knew a terrible and tragic event. The boat " le Joola" from Ziguinchor to Dakar capsized. The boat in the norm should contain five hundred passengers those that day, the boat had one thousand thirty four passengers among them women, men, children. The news said there were sixty four survivors and about five hundred passengers the dead and the unresined disappeared in the sea. The governemtn took some measures: a green number has been given for the persons who had the news on the passengers who were in the boat. Some people gave out money to the families of the victims. There were also the compensations those days. The President declared three days of national bereavement and the Lions ( National Football Team ) ornanized a friendly match against Nigeria. In this way, the money of the tickets has been given to families of the victims and the news said the Lions gave 10 millions to the families of the victims. During those days, the alomsphere was quiet. The senegalese were unhappy because everyone knew a person or many persons in the boat.

I pray for the victims of this tragedy and my sincere and deep condoleances to the families of the victims. God bless them

Maguette Diagne

The Joola

The Thursday, September 26th, 2002 at 11:00pm, the "Joola", a big boat which linked Ziguinchor to Dakar sunk 43km off Banjul.
The boat overloaded many people. It transported 1034 passengers. 797 passengers took the boat from Ziguinchor, 185 from Karabane and 52 members of the crew. Many people died and 64 persons escaped but many other disappeared. The Governement of Senegal but in place a lot of things for helping the victims'families.

It's very unforgetable.

Idrissa Dieng

The biggest boat of Senegal ...

Last week a bad event ocuured in the country. The Joola, the biggest boat of Senegal capsized into the sea.

That was a big tragedy because many people died in the sea few people surwived.

Many people asked "how the Joola capsized" and other people asked " why did they allow the overload"

These questions are without answers.

The survivors and the families of the wictims were compensate by sate and they will receive money. Many students of the University died because they came for their october session exam. And the Joola is cheaper than the car. This is the principal reason. And that's why many people took the Joola that day.

Coumba Alioune Bâ

A VERY BAD DAY

Thursday, September 26th, 2002 was a very bad day. What's happened?

The "Joola", the boat which travelled from Ziguinchor to Dakar capsized in the ocean, 47km in the gambian coast. It was 11'oclock when this accident arrived. many people died. Why did it capsize?

There are three reasons:

• There was a storm
• The boat should travel with 531 passengers but it travelled with 1034 passengers
• And the boat should travel with two engins. But travelled with one engin that day

At the moment, a lot of people are criying fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers or friends died in this accident. Who is responsible? The Governement is on one part responsible because they knew that the boat couldn't travel with one engin and they sold a lot of tickets and did have means for rescueing quickly. But the people who took the boat and who knew the boat was overlaoded were responsible too.

Ousseynou Bâ

64 people only have survived to the drama

The night of the 26th of September of 2002 the Joola capsized next to the coastline a lot of persons ( traders, students, football players...) There were children, men, women and persons who were from other countries. There were many people in the Joola but 64 people only have survived to the drama. If the rescuers had arrived on time a lot of people could be saved. The responsible for the boat should been more careful. We don't want this again.

Fiacre Coly

A terrible thing

The thursday, 26th September, a terrible thing had happened. The biggest boat of Senegal had sunk. That was a catastrophe, 1034 passengers were in the boat, 797 persons embarked at Ziguinchor and 185 at Karabane coast the boat was in the middle of storm and had one engine. the list of passengers was delivered moning of the following day. 27 sirvivors arrived from Gambia but it was 64 persons for all.

Ndiaga Bâ

Families of the victims were very angry

The thursday September 26th, the boat of the "Joola" capsized 11pm. The fire fighters of Senegal had a big work. The President of Senegal said that was a negligence of the Minister of Transport there were many victims. There were some survivors. All the people of Senegal and Africa were mourning. The families of the victims were very angry with the work of the Minister of Transport. The National Team of Senegal gave 25 millions to the families of the victims. All the schools of Senegal did a minute of silence at the openning of classes

Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Diop

Senegal is under the shock

Thursday September 26th at 11 pm, "the Joola", the big senegalese boat which was travelling from Ziguinchor to Dakar capsized in the ocean near the Gambia Coast. many people were in the boat but the Casamance students were the greatest number. As soon as we learnt about this enformale on we thought about Ismaila, my hotherd friend who had to gone to Casamance fer his holidays and had to come back the three day night. After the tragedy, all the people wanted to have information for a good understanding of the situation.

In my neighberhood everyone was in Ismaila's hause to have some information about him. We called the green number and some neighbours went to the part but his name was among the survivors

Inforleenately, Ismaila had dead in the accident. This was a dramatic day. The parents of the victims asked questions "Who is responsible?"

Indeed, the boat was everloaded. The normal capacity is 550 persons and there were more than 1000 persons in the boat.

I was very sad when I learnt this story because if the Senegalese were not neglectful and serious enough, they would refuse to everload the boat and nothing would happen

Khadidiatou Sy

Terrible event

Thursday september 26th, a terrible event happened: the boat " le Joola" capsized in the Atlantic Ocean near the Gambia: A big tragedy.

The accident took place at 11pm but nobody knew until 6am. When the first rescivers arrived, it was too late . A thousand and so people were already dead. Despute many hours of fighting against death, only 64 survived, 63 men, 1 woman, no kid.

The next day, all the newspapers talked about this. The first news told about 534 people, the second 1000 and the last 1500. Nobody knew exactly how namy people died. The president declared 3 days of National mourning to pay tribute to the victims' families.

For me, the cause of the accident is due to negligence. The boat which ough to have 2 engings had only one and there was excess of passengers more than a thousand.

The "Joola" shipweck is one after biggest that will never be forgotten because of the great number of the list lives.

Yaye Ndiémé Dieng

The shipwreck of the "Joola"

The september 26th was a terrible day for many people in Senegal because the "Joola" capsized in the sea of the Gambia. When I knew this news, I had a shock. Many people died in this accident: men, women, children and babies. The principal guilty in this affair is carelessness of Senegalese. One week after the tragedy, a cousin who was in the boat called her family to send a SOS. Now, she must be dead without any doubt. More thant 1000 people died this day. people say that the Governement is responsible for the tragedy but it's false. We don't forget this tragedy.

Mariama Camara

The "Joola" Shipwreck

Thursday, September 26th, about 11pm, abig tragedy happened in the Gambia Oceans. The Joola capsized with 1000 people in it. There was a real catastrophe. In Dakar, we received the information friday morning at 8.

Why between 11pm and 8am, nobody can say where ths "Joola " is? Why between 11pm and 8am, nobody can say what occurred to the thousand of people in the Joola?

Some hours after, the President has invited every Senegalese to ask themselves question why this?

People said that:

• they overloaded the boat
• the boat wasn't ready to go in the oceans because of the engines....

Me, I have one thing to say: Never this again

Mamadou lamine Diop

The, the tears of the Senegalese people

Thursday, September 26th, 2002, Senegal was living a national tragedy. The "Joola", the ship doing the Dakar - Ziguinchor, capsized in the gambian waters. A few people survived but most of them were trapped in the ship. Many reasons expalin this tragedy. There were too many people in the boat, there was only one engine, the security wasn't good enough, but the most important reason is that the Governement acted with irresponsibility by placing again the Joola on the sea. That day, everybody lost a husband, a son, a sister, a friend...

Now, cach day you can see hundreds of families at the part wainting for the bodies of theirrelatives. But their chances to retrieve the bodies of their parents are small. Many corpses can't be identified and the others will stay forever in the sea. Most of the victims were young people, students and pupils who were going back to school in Dakar. Its the future of all a generation that was brutally interrupted.

Even if this drama shattered the Senegalese people, we must go though our sadness to bulda beautiful future our country. I address my condolences te the families of all the victims.

Fatou Thioker Seck

The Joola's event

Thurday the 26th of September, 2002, the Joola, only boat that madethe crossing Dakar - Ziguinchor capsized in the ocean. It was a real tragedy for the senegalese people. It transported many sellers and students, some soldiers and many cars. It capsized in suspicious conditions, so Casamance people accused the Senegalese Governement. The Président took the advantage of that occasion for coming back and clearing up this mysterious event.

The Governement deceided to compensate the families of the shipwrecked out the boat. There were 64 survivors who confirmed the exess load of the boat. The limited states sent us an expert for towing the boat.

It's a sad and serious event for the victims' families.

Our sincere condolences

Soda Marieme Ndour

Tell us about the event " le Joola"

The "Joola" capsized on the 26th of september 2002, exactly at the end of the evening. One of my friends wanted take the boat to return to Dakar with her mother. It's a good thing, her mother didn't want to return by the boat because, it tookan excess passengers. And that's why I was scared out of my wits when I knew about it. I tried to call them but It was unsuccesful to do something. At this moment, I was afraid for them. The next morning, I called them for having explanations. After that call, I thanksed God...

I pray God not to let this happen again. It's a big loss and a good lesson for us. Now, people don't accept overload.

Maïmouna Wone

The Joola

Last month, the Joola, the biggest boat which travelled from Dakar to Ziguinchor capsized next to the Gambian coast and many people died. The reporters said that it was the state's responsibiliy because the boat was for it and the Joola had one engine when it capsized. Our Prime Minister said that the Joola had capsized because of a big rain but the reporters said that there should be 550 passengers in the boat but 1034 persons wre in it when it capsized and 64 persons survived to the accident. The President said that he would give money to the survivors and victims' families. This is the biggest of the tragedical accidents in Senegal's offshore story.

Pape Gueureume Diop

A sad night

It was a sad night to the Senegambian region when the boatmaned " Joola " sank. It all happended an the 26th September 2002 between of 11pm to 12am. Many people lost their lives. People said that the reservers came too late so the shepwreck had spent more than 10 hours in the water.

Those who averloaded the boat wrer responsible too.

Dead bodies were found in the Gambian too and the President of the Gambia did a very good job there, because he prevented fishermen from fishing and posted some security men at the seaside and the Senegalese President went there to say thank you to him for this well done job and sign of fraternity and compassion

Alain Agboton

The Joola capsized

The thursday,September twenty sixth, two thousand and two at 11pm, the boat " the Joola" capsized. A lot of leople died because the boat was overloaded. Some people ran away but others died. In my opinion, the shipwreck is a lesson for the people. After this terrible tragedy, the commanders will do their checking before driving off teh President of the Republic his governement gave money in order to build common cementry for the corpses that couldn't be identified.

This shipwreck of the "Joola " will be unforgetable

Ndiaga Matar Gaye