At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and turned, the media said citing authorities from the country on Friday (18).
The boat was carrying about 500 passengers, including women and children, when it turned on Tuesday (15) on the Congo River, located in the northwest region of the country, according to the reports.
Boat accidents are common at RD Congo, where old wooden vessels are the main means of transport among villages and are often loaded far beyond their capacity.
Authorities estimate that hundreds of people are still missing.
The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught fire near the city of MBANDAKA, after leaving the port of Matankumu towards the territory of Bolomba.
About 100 survivors were taken to a makeshift shelter in the city, while those who suffered burns were taken to local hospitals, Sky News said.
The tragedy occurred when a fire began at the moment a woman was cooking aboard the boat, Compétent Loyoko, the River Commissioner, told Associated Press.
Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without knowing how to swim, the report added.
In 2024, at least 78 people drowned when a 278 -passenger boat turned to Lake Kivu, east of Congo. In a separate incident, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in December in western Congo.
This content was originally published on fire on boat leaves more than 140 dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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