The death toll from a devastating boat disaster on the Congo River earlier this week has risen to at least 148, with more than 100 people still unaccounted for, Congolese authorities confirmed on April 18.
The accident occurred on April 15 when a motorised wooden boat, the HB Kongolo, caught fire and capsized near the town of Mbandaka in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
The vessel, which had departed from the port of Matankumu and was en route to the Bolomba territory, was carrying approximately 500 passengers.
According to Compétent Loyoko, the river commissioner, the blaze broke out when a fire ignited during onboard cooking. The flames quickly spread, causing panic among the passengers. Many of them, including women and children, jumped into the river to escape but drowned, unable to swim.
Dozens of passengers were rescued, though many of the survivors sustained serious injuries.
Over 150 people, reportedly suffering from third-degree burns, remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, Senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili stated.
Emergency responders, including provincial rescue teams and Red Cross personnel, are continuing search and recovery efforts along the river. The exact number of people missing remains unclear, but estimates suggest it exceeds 100.
“This tragedy is overwhelming,” said Senator Bofili. “As we speak, survivors with severe burns are left without medical care. Our magnificent Congo River and the lakes our country abounds in have become huge cemeteries for the Congolese people. This is unacceptable.”
Boat accidents are tragically frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers serve as the primary transportation network for much of the population. With limited infrastructure and roads, especially in remote regions, many people rely on overloaded wooden vessels to travel, often at night and without adequate safety measures.
Despite repeated disasters, authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations and ensure basic safety protocols on riverboats.
The government has not yet released an official list of the missing or dead, and recovery efforts are expected to continue in the coming days.
By Tamilla Hasanova
Source: caliber.az
scorpion.az