DAKAR, Nov 5 (AFP) - An official inquiry into the Senegalese ferry disaster
that claimed 1,200 lives found that the government failed to stop the ship
from sailing despite being fully aware of its safety problems.
   "The ministry in charge of the merchant navy was always ringing the
alarm bell about overcrowding and lack of safety on board the Joola,
without ever carrying out its legal obligation to prevent the ship from
sailing," according to the report of the commission of inquiry.
   The Joola capsized in rough seas off the coast of Gambia, a thin strip
of a country that juts into the middle of Senegal, on September 26.
   President Abdoulaye Wade on Monday sacked his government in the wake of
the disaster and named one of his closest aides, Idriss Seck, new prime
minister.
   The head of the official investigation, Seydou Madani Sy, said the death
toll from the disaster was 1,200 lives, revising sharply upwards an earlier
official toll of 970.
   Only 64 people survived the accident, the worst in Senegal maritime
history and in modern African history.
   Members of the commission said Joola had not had a certificate of
seaworthiness since 1998
   "The Joola was no longer conforming to international regulations
regarding safety equipment," the report said, a copy of which was seen by
AFP.
   The ship was found to be carrying double its legal capacity of 550
passengers and about 40 crew.

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