Barça ou barsax. Senegal, tragedy off the coast of Mbour: boat explodes, 150 migrants die
Barça ou barsax. Migrants, a tragedy that has dismayed Senegal: a pirogue full of migrants bound for Spain exploded, at the height of Mbour.
Because of the explosion 7 young people, originally from Pikine, lost their lives.
Unfortunately, however, there are many more missing at sea and it is desperate to find them alive.
About 50 were rescued by the Anambé, a boat that was nearby, and by the patrol boat of the Senegal National Navy Ferlo.
The search for the other occupants continues, with all the difficulties one can imagine.
Barça ou barsax, and for 150 people was dead
Despite the lack of officiality, about 150 human beings have perished.
Senegal’s President Macky Sall expressed his condolences to the families of the migrants and promised to take all possible measures.
The local newspaper Dakaractu has collected the testimony of one of the survivors, Dame Mbengue: “I am one of the migrants who embarked last Thursday, aboard a canoe in Mbour Téfess, to reach Spain.
A friend gave me a ticket for free.
When the mechanical problems at sea started, I was asleep.
It was my companions who woke me up.
At a certain point, the engine caught fire.
The crew seemed to be able to control the flames.
But someone must have reached the gas tanks.
There was a powerful explosion.
I jumped up to dive into the sea, grabbed a can float in the water.
I was rescued by the boatmen who were in the area.
They loaded us on their canoe and took us to the beach in Yarakh, Dakar.
We were seven survivors.
Our final destination was Spain.
If I have the opportunity, I will return to embark”.
Target Canary Islands, “Barça ou barsax”
Dugout departures for Europe are quite usual in Senegal.
To define the degree of determination, or desperation, of migrants, these trips are renamed Barça ou barsax (Barcelona or death): the goal is to reach the Canary Islands.
In Europe, many people are focused on the route that connects the Libyan coast to Lampedusa: last week the gendarmerie of Senegal stopped about 400 people leaving.
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