 |
Searchers to pull ferry from the sea
September 9, 1997
Web posted at: 6:15 p.m. EDT (2215 GMT)MONTROUIS, Haiti (CNN) -- Searchers trying to recover bodies from a sunken passenger ferry called off diving operations Tuesday and brought a wrecking crane to the scene.
United Nations peacekeeping troops stationed in Haiti, who are spearheading the recovery efforts, planned to pull the sunken ferry out of the sea.
Dozens and perhaps hundreds of victims were entombed in the hull of the ferry Monday, when it sank quickly after overturning only 50 yards from shore.
CNN's Susan Candiotti reports
2 min., 36 sec. VXtreme streaming video
Divers had pulled more than 50 bodies from the wreckage before deciding to try to pull the entire ship out of the water.
"It's hard to get the bodies out because the spaces are really narrow," said Canadian diver Cpl. Chantal Arsenault.
The ferry came to rest upside down in 120 feet of water.
Also Tuesday, President Rene Preval and several of his Cabinet ministers visited the scene of the disaster, 50 miles northwest of Port-au-Prince.
"It's a catastrophe," Preval said. "We are here to see what we can do. We are here to see what happened."
Thousands of mourners descended on the small fishing village. Some were curiosity-seekers, and others were grief-stricken relatives hoping to claim the bodies of their loved ones. Several were heatedly angry at the president.
"Why are you coming here now?" screamed one woman who said she had lost five children in the accident. "There was no one here yesterday to pull the boat out of the water. Now everyone's dead."
The exact number of victims was uncertain, as there was no manifest. Initial reports from the Haitian coast guard said the death toll could be as high as 400, but local Red Cross officials say that figure is probably closer to 200.
Thousands of small ferries ply Haiti's coast and outlying islands, and the small ships are the common means of transport on this poor and mountainous nation.
The La Fierte Gonavienne -- The Pride of Gonave -- was new to the run between Gonave Island and this fishing village on the central coast.
The ship was air-conditioned, a rarity in the region, and locals say that contributed to its popularity and overcrowding. Most of Haiti's coastal ferries are motorized sailboats.
It had only been in service ten days before it sank. The ship had been certified to carry 80 people, according to a U.S. Coast Guard official stationed in Port-au-Prince.
The ferry's manager said after the sinking that the ship was capable of carrying 400, and a local official said 276 tickets had been sold for Monday morning's fatal trip.
Related stories:
- Red Cross slashes estimate of Haitian ferry victims - September 9, 1997
- Hundreds feared dead after Haiti ferry sinks - September 8, 1997
- Haitian ferry sinks, 25 reported dead - September 8, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Page will open in a new browser window
- American Red Cross - humanitarian organization, helping over 30 million people each year prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies
- DisasterRelief.org - worldwide disaster aid and information via the Internet
- United Nations Mission in Haiti - detailed information on the actual United Nations Mission in Haiti
- Home Page of the Embassy of Haiti, Washington D.C.
- The World Factbook page on Haiti - extensive compilation of data from the CIA on Haiti
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
|
Sound off on our message boards
You said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.