Tragedy in Congo: 19 people dead, several missing after boat capsizes in northwestern Congo
At least 19 people have died in a boat disaster on Lake Mai-Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The incident was caused by strong winds that disabled one of the engines, causing the vessel to capsize.
The incident was caused by strong winds on the lake, which disabled one of the boat’s two engines, causing it to capsize. We found nine bodies yesterday, and ten more were pulled from the water today, bringing the total death toll to 19 – said the governor.
For his part, the national representative of the Mushie territory in Mai-Ndombe province, Freddy Bonzeke Iliki, estimated that there were at least 200 passengers on the boat and said that the search for bodies was ongoing.
The publication points out that riverboats are the main mode of transport in many rural areas of the DRC, but the vessels are often outdated and accidents are common.
More than 3.2 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo live near erosion channels that are destroying entire city blocks. The cracks are over 700 km long and their number has almost doubled from 2010 to 2023 due to urban expansion.
