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

Date: 14 Dec 2002
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

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.

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01Relief Web ,At least 60 drown as Liberian boat capsizes [online] Available at: www.reliefweb.int [Accessed on 26November 2013]
02 dailymail,'Boat capsizes' , [online] Available at:www.dailymail.co.uk,[Accessed on 26November 2013]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, December 9). A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070978

South African History Online (2011) 'A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia', South African History Online, 9 December. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070978 (Accessed: 26 September 2026).

South African History Online, A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070978, (accessed 26 September 2026).

"A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia." South African History Online, 9 Dec. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070978. Accessed 26 Sept. 2026.

South African History Online. "A ferry carrying 200 passengers capsizes near the coastal town of Robersport in Northwest Liberia." South African History Online. December 9, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070978.