FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) -- A boat full of refugees fleeing fighting in Sierra Leone's capital hit a rock near the border with neighboring Guinea and sank, killing 50 people, officials said Wednesday.
The boat was on its way to Guinea on Monday night when it capsized near the Scarcies River, about 50 miles west of Freetown, police in the western town of Kambia said.Thousands of refugees have fled Freetown since fighting began anew in the capital in January.
Rebels of the Revolutionary United Front have been largely driven out of Freetown, but the stench of rotting bodies hangs heavy over the seaside city and the death toll remains incomplete. Government officials say 2,000 to 3,000 people have been killed in fighting across the country since December.
Meanwhile, police in Freetown said Wednesday that at least 220 police officers have been killed since fighting flared in the capital four weeks ago.
In the bloodiest incident, the homes of 30 officers were burned down at the Kingtom police barracks and all the occupants were killed.