Lompoul: lack of morgues slows identification of the 39 dead
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Dakaractu
Four more bodies were recovered on Monday off Lompoul, bringing the provisional death toll from the boat sinking to 39. According to the governor of Louga, the lack of morgues in the region is complicating the identification and preservation of the bodies, according to information relayed by Dakaractu.
According to the governor of Louga, the lack of morgues is slowing the identification of the victims of the Saré Dao shipwreck, near Lompoul. Unidentified bodies have been placed in the morgue of the Kébémer district and in that of the Louga hospital. Their transfer to neighbouring regions has been discussed, but it is running into administrative difficulties.
The four bodies recovered on Monday were buried at Saré Dao because of their advanced state of decomposition, according to the fire brigade command. According to L’Observateur, 23 of the 39 victims had been identified and returned to their families, and only one survivor was known at this stage. The Orsec emergency plan has allowed the army, police and firefighters to coordinate their work.
Attending to offer condolences to the families, Interior Minister Makhtar Cissé announced increased mobilisation of the police, the gendarmerie, intelligence services and maritime and aerial surveillance resources. He mentioned talks with Gambia, Guinea and Mali to coordinate the fight against people-smuggling networks, as well as possibilities for circular migration with host countries, including Spain.
