Gambia apologises as patient dies in stranded ferry

The Gambia authorities have said that a ferry that was stranded in the northern coastal region of Barra for 12 hours has been disentangled from a fishing net.

The vessel Kunta Kinteh got stuck on Sunday with passengers and vehicles, sparking public outrage. A patient in an ambulance on the ferry died during the long ordeal, local media reported.

Lamin Jawara, the Gambia Ferry Service Company (GFSC) general manager, said the ferry’s captain had removed the fishing net from the vessel’s rudder propellers and attempted to return to the capital, Banjul, but was hindered by a low tide.

“It was an unfortunate and regrettable incident. We apologise to all the passengers and Gambians at large,” Mr Jawara said, adding that the incident was beyond his office’s control.

He said the GFSC was working with its partners, such as the Gambia Maritime Administration and Gambia Navy, to prevent similar incidents.