At least 20 dead, several missing after boat capsizes in northwestern Congo
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — At least 20 people are dead and several others are missing after a boat capsized in northwestern Congo, according to local residents.
The boat that capsized in Maï-Ndombe Lake on Thursday was carrying passengers to the capital Kinshasa. Among them was a newly appointed Catholic priest, the local Diocese said on Friday.
Emmanuel Bola, a resident of the nearby town of Inongo, told The Associated Press by phone on Saturday that the boat was heading to Kinshasa from the town of Kiri when it capsized between the villages of Bobeni and Lobeke at around 8pm on Thursday night.
The Congolese government has not announced the official death toll. Speaking on national television, Kevani Nkoso, the governor of Maï-Ndombe province, said: “We are waiting for details of the teams sent to the field to determine the number of people killed and the number of survivors.”
Boats capsizing is becoming more and more frequent In this Central African country, more people are abandoning the few available roads in favor of cheaper wooden ships, which crumble under the weight of passengers and belongings.
On such tripsLife jackets are rare and ships are often overloaded.
Many of the boats also travel at night, making rescue efforts difficult and often resulting in the body not being found.
A capsizing incident occurred earlier this month 64 people are missing.
In September, at least 193 people died in two separate boat tragedies in northwestern Congo; state media attributed this to “improper loading and night navigation”.
