The heavy rainstorm destroyed the Kunta Kinteh Island jetty, making accessibility to the island greatly difficult.
Kunta Kinteh Island, which is the most visited site in Destination Gambia suffered the loss over that weekend.
Commenting on the damage of the jetty caused by the heavy downpour, Hassoum Ceesay, the director general of the National Centre for Arts and Culture, confirmed that the prolonged downpour affected the jetty leading to the Kunta Kinteh Island.
“Luckily, the island itself is intact without any damage to the property. The authenticity and the integrity of the island remain good,” Mr. Ceesay said, adding nothing has been damaged there.
“But the access to the island has been severely limited because the jetty which the visitor will use to alight from the boat is what had been destroyed by the floodwater.”
He noted that the jetty was constructed a long time ago as per the management plan of the Kunta Kinteh Island and the related sites and periodically before the tourism season.
The center always does some adjustment and refurbishment to the jetty “but unfortunately this rainstorm of the weekend did a severe damage to the platform,”
He added that now accessibility to the Island has been rendered difficult and needs urgent repair. “We are seeking assistance from UNESCO because it is a UNESCO World Heritage property and we are working with them to assess the damage to the jetty and also to see how it could be repaired as quickly as possible so that the safe landing in the island will continue.”
