The death toll from a devastating boat fire and capsizing on the Congo River earlier this week has risen to 148, with more than 100 people still missing, officials confirmed on Friday. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday when a wooden vessel carrying around 500 passengers caught fire and sank near the town of Mbandaka in the country’s north-west.
The fire reportedly started when a passenger was cooking on board the boat, which quickly spread, leading to chaos as people attempted to escape. Many passengers, including women and children, jumped into the river in panic but drowned as they were unable to swim.
Survivors, many of whom were severely burned, were rescued by local authorities and Red Cross teams. However, over 150 survivors are currently without immediate humanitarian aid and are suffering from third-degree burns.
Senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili expressed his outrage, saying, “The death toll among the 500 passengers was tragically high. Our rivers have become death traps for our people, and this situation is unacceptable.”
Boat accidents are tragically common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where overcrowded, under-regulated vessels often serve as the primary means of transportation for millions of people. Many rural areas, especially those without roads, rely heavily on these boats despite the risks involved. The DRC’s government has faced difficulty in enforcing maritime safety standards, contributing to the frequency of such disasters.
The Congo River and its tributaries, once symbols of the country’s natural beauty, have become increasingly dangerous for the Congolese population, with deadly boat accidents continuing to claim lives across the nation.