At least 148 people die after boat catches fire in Congo: reports

At slightest 148 radical were recovered dormant successful the Democratic Republic of Congo aft a motorized woody vessel caught occurrence and capsized, media reports citing section officials said connected Friday.

The vessel was carrying arsenic galore arsenic 500 passengers, including women and children, erstwhile it overturned successful the Congo River located successful the country’s northwest portion connected Tuesday, arsenic per the reports.

27 DEAD IN NORTHWEST CONGO AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES

Boating accidents are communal successful Congo, wherever old, woody vessels are the main signifier of transport betwixt villages and are often loaded acold beyond capacity.

The emblem of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen successful Beijing, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Wang Xin/VCG)

Officials estimation hundreds of radical to inactive beryllium missing, the reports added. The fig of dormant was antecedently estimated astatine 50.

The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught occurrence adjacent the municipality of Mbandaka, having near the larboard of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory.

About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised structure astatine the section municipality hall, portion those with pain injuries were taken to section hospitals, Sky News reported.

The incidental occurred erstwhile a occurrence started arsenic a pistillate was cooking connected committee the vessel, Compétent Loyoko, the stream commissioner, told the Associated Press.

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Several passengers, including women and children, died aft jumping into the h2o without being capable to swim, the study added.

In 2024, astatine slightest 78 radical drowned erstwhile a vessel with 278 passengers capsized successful Lake Kivu, eastbound Congo. In a abstracted incident, astatine slightest 22 radical died aft a stream vessel sank successful December successful occidental Congo.