A river boat sank in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people after the overcrowded upper deck gave way, a local official reported to Reuters on Wednesday.
Boating disasters are all too frequent in Congo, where ageing wooden boats serve as the primary means of transport between villages, often heavily overloaded beyond their safe capacity.
The boat was reportedly carrying up to 100 passengers when it sank on Tuesday in the western Mai-Ndombe province, according to the local official. The victims comprised 15 women, five men, and two children.
“Until we have safer, metallic boats, we will continue to suffer shipwrecks. There are thousands of these wooden vessels still plying the waters of Mai-Ndombe,” said provincial governor, Lebon Nkoso Kevani, in his statement to Reuters.
He went on to explain that a team of provincial officials had been dispatched to the scene to investigate, with many passengers believed to have managed to reach the shore following the incident.
In October, a devastating boat capsized in Lake Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, claiming the lives of at least 78 people despite carrying 278 passengers.
Anicet Babanga, a senator representing Mai-Ndombe province, informed Reuters that around 30 individuals had been confirmed as survivors of the latest disaster and that a search operation was ongoing to determine the fate of the remaining passengers.
