At least 25 people, including children, were killed and dozens missing after a packed boat capsized in a river in central Congo on Tuesday, officials and local residents said.
The ship was believed to be carrying more than 100 passengers after leaving the city of Inongo, northeast of the capital Kinshasa. It capsized a few hundred meters along the banks of the Fiumi River, the latest such tragedy to hit Congo.
The search for missing people continued after hours on Tuesday as concerns grew that the death toll could be much higher.
“There was overloading at the roof level and as far as lifeless human bodies are concerned, at least 25 bodies have been recovered so far,” Inongo river commissioner David Kalemba said.
According to Alex Mbumba, a resident of the area, the overturned boat was also loaded with goods. “The dead also included children, but it is difficult to give the exact number of deaths at the moment because there were so many passengers on board the boat,” Mbumba said.
Tuesday’s accident was the fourth this year in Mai-Ndombe province, a region surrounded by rivers where many people depend on river transport.
Congolese authorities have frequently warned against overloading and vowed to punish those who violate safety measures for water transport. However, in the remote areas where most travelers come from, many are unable to afford public transportation given the available roads.
At least 78 people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized in the eastern part of the country in October, and a similar accident near Kinshasa in June killed 80 people.
The latest accident prompted the government to equip the province with flotation devices.
“The government must act to improve safety on our province’s waters [because] Navigation conditions are dangerous,” Mbumba said.
