Cliff Notes
- At least 193 people have died in two separate boat accidents in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with over 140 still missing from the most recent incident.
- The first accident involved a boat with nearly 500 passengers that capsized after a fire; improper loading and night navigation have been cited as contributing factors.
- Increasing frequency of such incidents is attributed to overcrowded wooden vessels, lack of life jackets, and limited road infrastructure, complicating rescue operations.
At least 193 dead in two deadly boat accidents in Democratic Republic of Congo | World News
At least 193 people have been killed in two deadly boat accidents in two days in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The most recent incident occurred on Thursday and saw a boat with nearly 500 passengers catch fire and capsize on the Congo River, in the Equateur Province’s Lukolela territory, authorities said.
Some 107 people were killed and a further 146 are missing, the Congolese humanitarian affairs ministry said.
It came a day after at least 86 people were killed in a separate boat accident in the Basankusu territory, in the same province. Most of those victims were said to have been students.
Images appearing to be from the scene showed villagers gathered around bodies.
It is not immediately clear what caused either accident, but state media attributed the first to “improper loading and night navigation”.
A local civil society group has blamed the government and claimed the number of dead is higher.
The capsizing of boats is becoming increasingly frequent in the central African nation as more people are abandoning the few available roads for cheaper, wooden vessels – which can crumble under the weight of passengers and their goods.
Life jackets are rare and the boats are usually overloaded.
Many of the vessels travel at night, complicating rescue efforts after accidents and leaving many bodies often unaccounted for.