Ferry Captain Blamed in 147 Deaths
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BRAZZAVILLE, Congo — Witnesses and government television accused a ferry captain Tuesday of pulling away from a dock prematurely, causing at least 147 people to tumble into the Congo River and drown.
Most of the victims of Sunday’s accident were Zairians trying to beat a Friday deadline the Congo government set for illegal aliens to leave the country.
Thousands of Zairians were lined up to get onto the 200-passenger ferry to Kinshasa, Zaire’s capital, when a gangway collapsed and scores of people fell into the fast-moving river, police said.
It was one of the world’s worst river ferry disasters in years.
Police did not report the accident until Monday. Thirty-three bodies were recovered late Monday and 114 more on Tuesday.
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