11 drown after boat capsizes on Logone river

A local boat capsized on the river Logone on Thursday evening. It occured near the town of Miogoye II about 20 km southeast of Yagoua which faces the Chadian town of Bongor.

The accident is suspected to have been caused by a strong wind that blew over the Mayo-Danay department in the afternoon. Thirteen passengers were aboard the locally manufactured canoe returning from Bongor. The effect of the storm reversed the boat and a struggle by passengers worsened their situation.

A boatman who witnessed the event in an attempt to rescue the passengers found himself in the same situation. The accident recorded eleven deaths by drowning. There were seven ladies among the drowned, namely Falmigué, Esther Lamissia, Vounsoumna, Boulaklia, madame Zamlaouda, wife of Bérem, Damdam, Amina, wife of Kaïssassou, three men (Gatsou, Dia, Takka) and a male infant whose mother, named Koïkaye survived the boat wreck.

The bodies were found a day after a search was conducted. The victims are all Cameroonians. The mother of the infant and the boatman Tchoringué Djougsou of Chadian nationality survived the sinking.

Informed of the tragedy, the deputy sub-prefect of the district of Yagoua and the mayor of the town, Fissou Kouma visited the scene Friday morning.

The public prosecutor at the Yagoua court led the group of investigators who are members of the gendarmerie.

Boat wrecks have become frequent in the Mayo-Danay department. In October 2009, 19 people died following the sinking of a boat on the Lake Guéré, in the district of Wina.

In August 2013, a local canoe with fourteen passengers capsized on the same river with three dead. This puts into question the poor quality of boats used in river transport.