Gabon receives four bodies from Mayumba barge disaster
Three Gabonese and one Croatian national were recovered after the oil barge sank off the coast of Mayumba.
Port-Gentil received four bodies on Tuesday, November 3, following the shipwreck of an oil barge near Mayumba. The recovered individuals included three Gabonese citizens and one Croatian national. Five government ministers, the governor of Ogooué-Maritime, and local officials were present at the funeral home where the bodies were taken.
Minister of Petroleum and Gas, Clotaire Kondja, conveyed the government's condolences to the grieving families, reiterating presidential instructions for support and transparency. He stated that the bodies of the three Gabonese would be prepared at Gasepga for their families, while the Croatian national would be repatriated. An official tribute for the oil industry is scheduled for Friday at the Port-Gentil Fair.
Search operations continue for the fifth missing person from the Mayumba incident, according to Vice-Admiral Charles Huber Bekalé-Meyong, head of the National Navy's staff. The final toll of the disaster has not yet been determined, leaving families in painful anticipation.
Why it mattersFamilies of the recovered victims are receiving support and official condolences from the Gabonese government following the oil barge disaster.