- The boat was carrying around 150 people
- Recovery operations are hampered by difficult conditions
- Boat accidents are frequent in the DRC
A wooden motorized boat overloaded with passengers capsized on Monday in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The boat accident resulted in the deaths of at least four individuals and leaving approximately 40 others unaccounted for, according to local officials.
The incident occurred on the Kwango River, a tributary of the Congo River, in the southwestern Kwango Province, as reported by Deputy Governor Remy Saki.
“Four bodies have been recovered, and so far, 79 people have been rescued. We are still searching for about 40 missing individuals,” he said.
Rescue efforts are ongoing under challenging conditions. “We anticipate it may take one or two days to locate the sunken vessel and determine if there are any bodies trapped inside,” Saki added.
Jean-Baptiste Nkololo, the chief of Port Kwango village, reported that the boat struck a bridge before sinking.
Witnesses claimed there were around 150 people on board at the time.
The DRC’s underdeveloped road infrastructure often forces people to rely on boats for travel and transport, making such accidents relatively common.
In July, at least 25 people perished in a similar boat capsize on the Congo River in Maniema Province.
In 2019, another tragic sinking claimed about 100 lives.
