At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a motorized wood and dumping fire fire, they told local authorities on Friday that cite local officials.
The boat carried so many passengers of the 500 axis, including women and children, when it was excessively in the Congo River located in the northwest region of the country on Tuesday, according to the reports.
27 dead in the northwest of the Congo after the ship’s overtions
Navigation accidents are common in Congo, where old wooden ships are the main form of transport between villages are often loaded far beyond capacity.
The flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo is seen in Beijing, on May 26, 2023. (Photo of Wang Xin/VCG)
Officials estimate that hundreds of people are still missing, the reports added. The death toll was previously estimated at 50.
The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught fire near the city of Mandaka, after having left the port of Matankumu for the territory of Bolomba.
Around 100 survivors were tasks of an improvised shelter at the local City Council, while those with burns injuries were tasks for local hospitals, reports Sky News.
The incident occurred when a fire began when a woman was cooking aboard the ship, said the commissioner of the river, commissioner of the river, to The Associated Press.
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Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim, the report added.
In 2024, at least 78 people drowned when a boat with 278 passengers overturned in Lake Kivu, the east of the Congo. In a separate incident, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in December at Western Congo.