The Gabonese authorities have increased to 21 the provisional balance of deathly victims after the sinking of a ship last week off their coasts. Rescue services have recovered 15 new bodies from the wrecked ship, adding to the six deaths reported in previous figures, reports the AGP news agency.
According to the data provided by the African country, 16 people are still missing, while 124 have been rescued alive.
The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, declared this Monday three days of national mourning “to accompany all the families who have been beaten in thought and prayer,” reported ‘L’Union’. After that, the government spokesman, Yves Fernand Manfoumbi, announced to suspend the activities of the company responsible for the ship as a precaution, since the poor condition of the ships of the shipping company has been reported on previous occasions.
The Esther Miracle, a mixed passenger and cargo ship operated by Royal Cost Marine, linking Gabon’s capital Libreville with Port-Gentil, the country’s second-largest city, sank overnight from Wednesday to Thursday, according to the said agency.