Dozens dead as boat capsizes in DR Congo: Official | news
At least 38 people have died and more than 100 are missing after a boat carrying people traveling for Christmas capsized in the Busira River.
At least 38 people have died and more than 100 others are missing after a Christmas Eve boat capsized in a river in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to officials and witnesses.
Twenty people have been rescued so far after a boat sank in the Busira river late on Friday night. It was traveling as part of a convoy of other ships and the passengers were mainly traders returning home for Christmas, said Joseph Congolingoli, the mayor of Ingende, the last town on the river before the accident site. .
According to Ndolo Kadi, a resident of Ingende, the ferry “had more than 400 people on board as it made two ports, Ingende and Lulo, on the way to Boende, so there is reason to believe there were more deaths”, the Associated Press news agency reported. .
Central government officials have not yet commented on the incident and have not provided further details about the rescue operations. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the casualty figures reported by AP.
Congolese authorities have frequently warned against overloading boats and promised to punish those who violate safety measures on the rivers. However, in remote areas, many people cannot afford public transportation on the few available roads.
The incident comes less than four days after another boat capsized in the country’s north-east, killing 25 people.
At least 78 people drowned in October when a boat carrying hundreds of passengers reportedly capsized on Lake Kivu in the east of the country.
Another 80 people lost their lives in a similar accident in June on the Kwa River, about 70 km (43 miles) from the town of Mushi in Mai-Ndombe province, near Kinshasa.
