- Two motorized wooden boats collided on Congo River.
- At least 30 people confirmed dead, dozens still missing.
- Search operations continue near Ngombe-Lukolela area.
Kinshasa: Two boats collided over the weekend on the Congo River, killing at least 30 people and leaving dozens missing, local Congolese authorities said Monday. The motorised wooden boats crashed into one another on Sunday near the Ngombe-Lukolela area in the province of Equateur, according to the provincial interior minister, Crispin Mputu. The reason for the crash was not immediately clear.
The minister told The Associated Press that the 30 killed in the crash have already been buried. One boat was travelling from Ubangi, in the northwest, to the capital of Kinshasa, and the other from Kinshasa to Lukolela, close to where the collision happened, Mputu said. Search efforts continue to find more victims and survivors, he added.
Second incident in a week
Earlier last month, a vessel carrying traders capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Congo, killing at least 12 and leaving dozens missing. The vessel was carrying more than 50 people when it capsized Saturday night off Idjwi Island, in South Kivu province, said Félix Habiragi, chief of the village of Kisheke near the scene of the accident. He said about 15 people have been rescued. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
Deadly boat accidents are common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people. The vessel was transporting fish traders and goods from Idjwi Island’s Bwina to Boza, according to Muhindo Ntambuka Pascal, the local administrator.
Videos that appear to be from the scene showed villagers and other passengers pulling bodies from the lake. Christian Amini Ndahira, a resident of Ijwi, said he lost a friend on the boat. “We had even spoken in the evening, before he boarded that boat. It’s so sad for me and for his family.”
Congo’s vessels are often overloaded with goods and passengers, many of whom frequently travel without lifejackets.
“The authorities had, in particular, begun requiring passengers to wear lifejackets. Today, however, many people continue to travel without them,” said Dorcelle Bagazane, a member of civil society in Idjwi.
(With inputs from agencies)