Death toll rises to 17 after ferry sinks off Cameroon coast

The death toll of a shipwreck off Cameroon's southwestern coast rose to 17 as more bodies were recovered on Tuesday, said Bernard Okalia Bilai, governor of the Southwest region where the tragedy happened, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"Three bodies were recovered on the spot when the ship sank on Sunday. Fourteen other bodies were recovered on Monday and today Tuesday," Bilai told reporters after holding a crisis meeting with navy officials on Tuesday evening in the sea resort town of Limbe in the Southwest.

"Four people were rescued by Nigerian fisherman, and 107 others were rescued by the Cameroon navy," he added.

The rescue team is still searching for missing persons.

According to a statement of the wrecked ship's company Achouka on Tuesday, there were 132 persons on board including crew and passengers.

However, according to Cameroon national television CRTV on Monday evening, the total number of passengers was about 150.

The ferry left neighboring Nigeria and was heading to Tiko wharf in the Southwest region.

The accident has been blamed on overloading, but officials of Achouka insisted it was caused by bad weather or the ship might have hit a rock.