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Four Teachers Missing After Pirogue Capsizes on Maroni River in French Guiana

Authorities press a large search as questions linger over the cause and life-jacket use.

Overview

  • The boat overturned around 6:15 a.m. local time near Grand-Santi on the border river with Suriname.
  • The pirogue driver and two teachers reached the bank, while four primary school teachers remain unaccounted for.
  • Search operations involve a civil security Dragon helicopter, another aircraft, about 30 rescuers including divers, and roughly ten pirogues; efforts stopped at sunset and are set to resume at dawn Sunday.
  • Officials say the group was returning from a private trip in a region where many communities rely on river transport due to limited road access.
  • Investigators have not determined the cause or whether passengers wore life jackets, which became compulsory on pirogues on January 1, against a backdrop of prior fatal accidents on the Maroni.