The Gambia Red Cross Society (GRCS) has evacuated Gambian pilgrims who were involved in a road accident on their journey for a Magal in Senegalese spiritual city of Touba. Seven of the 22 passengers on board a vehicle registration number: WD 3013 A were injured.

One of the injured passengers lost her left hand, while others suffered from multiple fractures and other minor injuries.

The victims of the March 5 accident had been in the care of the Senegalese Red Cross authorities in Thies, while a few of them were hospitalised at Lukeh Hospital in Diourbel.

The GRCS authorities, in consultation with their counterparts in Senegal, travelled to Thies and Diourbel to evacuate the victims to The Gambia.

Upon arrival in Senegal, Lamin William Jammeh, Secretary General of GRCS, Musa IM Jarju, First Aid Coordinator of GRCS and Lamin Gassama, Dissemination Coordinator of GRCS, thanked the Senegalese Red Cross Society for their humanitarian assistance.

Assan Gassama, the Regional Director of Thies Red Cross, said the Red Cross movement does not have any frontier, neither does it know nationality, race, tribe, rich or poor. “It stands to alleviate human suffering, any where it may be found,” he said.

Madam Sallah Kati, Regional Chairperson of the Diourbel Red Cross, said the importance of the strengthening relations between the two countries cannot be over emphasised, citing examples of the Le Joula Ferry Disaster in 2002. “The tremendous assistance rendered by The Gambia Government, GRCS and its partners, in rescuing the bodies of the deceased from deep waters of The Gambia, still remains fresh in our minds. Whatever assistance we have rendered to the victims of Tuesday, 5th March, cannot pay for your efforts in 2002 Le Joula ferry rescue operation,” she noted.

Abdoulie Jong, first Vice President of the Senegalese Red Cross, said the relationship between the two national societies is quite natural. “This is manifested in any forum the two societies shares,” Mr Jong said.

During the visit, Lamin William Jammeh, Secretary General of GRCS, paid part of the medical bills for the victims and transported them and their relatives, who went to console them in Lukeh Hospital in Diourbel, to Banjul.

Mr. Jammeh said all these efforts reaffirmed the support of the government of The Gambia, for her citizens both within and out of the country.

Attesting to this fact, Baba Njie, Regional Health Officer of the North Bank Region, dispatched two ambulances and Saiti Jatta, a nurse, to Karang near the Amdalye border, to transfer the causalities, for speedy evacuation to the RVTH.