Reuters AlertNet Lite - At least 15 die in Burkina boat capsize--official

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

At least 15 die in Burkina boat capsize--official

30 Mar 2009 18:41:45 GMT
Source: Reuters

OUAGADOUGOU, March 30 (Reuters) - At least 15 people were killed when an overloaded boat sank in the Sourou river around 300 km (185 miles) northwest of Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou, a government official said on Monday.

Sunday's sinking was the second this month in Burkina Faso, where, as in many other West African countries, the open-topped wooden vessels known as pirogues are often dangerously overloaded with passengers and goods.

"As well as 36 people, there were sacks of food, four cows, bicycles and mopeds on board. Clearly this tragedy has been caused by overloading," said Abdoulaye Bassinga, a government official responsible for Sourou province.

In the previous accident, 16 people drowned when their pirogue capsized near Toecin, around 100 km (65 miles) north of the capital. That prompted the government to call for pirogue operators to be regulated. (Reporting by Mathieu Bonkoungou; writing by Daniel Magnowski; editing by Alistair Thomson and Tim Pearce) (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://af.reuters.com/)

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

NGO latest

• Water is Life: ADRA Commemorates World Water Day
ADRA - International

MORE >>

Latest news

• At least 15 die in Burkina boat capsize--official

• GLOBAL: Fatal 'extensively-resistant' tuberculosis spreads

• BURKINA FASO: Child brides fight child marriage

• BURKINA FASO: Child marriage worsens population pressure

• AFRICA: New meningitis vaccine nears debut

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures

Burkina Faso

Breaking stories

At least 15 die in Burkina boat capsize--official (1 minute ago)

GLOBAL: Fatal 'extensively-resistant' tuberculosis spreads (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight

Why humanitarians and climate scientists don't talk (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed

Water is Life: ADRA Commemorates World Water Day (1 minute ago)

Blogs

Peace game to help train disaster responders (1 minute ago)

Maps

MAP: Global projected land use changes, 1700-2050 (1 minute ago)