A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia

A ferry carrying close to 200 passengers capsized in Robersport, Liberia on 14 December 2002.  The passengers were returning from the funeral of a well-known local footballer when tragedy struck. Only 15 survivors were pulled out from the water, including the ferry’s captain. It is believed that the cause of the accident could be attributed to two reasons: The ferry was designed to carry less than a hundred people and yet it carried twice that number. It was reported that the ferry’s outboard motor, which powers it, had not been working properly by the captain.  But he was ordered to make the return trip from the funeral nonetheless.