A senior Congolese official says a ship capsized in Congo’s northwest killing no less than 27 folks
ByJEAN-YVES KAMALE Related Press
October 14, 2023, 4:29 PM
KINSHASA, Congo — A ship capsized in Congo’s northwest killing no less than 27 folks, and greater than 70 others had been lacking, a senior authorities official stated Saturday as rescuers searched frantically for survivors.
The domestically made boat capsized late Friday within the metropolis of Mbandaka in Equateur Province because it transported greater than 100 passengers alongside the Congo River to the city of Bolomba, in keeping with Taylor Nganzi, deputy provincial governor.
“Already 27 our bodies of victims have been faraway from the waters (and) transported to the morgue of the final hospital in Mbandaka,” stated Nganzi, including that an investigation to search out out the reason for the accident had begun.
The New Civil Society of Congo, a neighborhood civil society group, stated 49 folks died within the accident, which it stated occurred after an engine failure. “Every thing began to sink,” Jean-Pierre Wangela, president of the group, advised reporters.
The contradictory loss of life tolls, which is frequent in such incidents in Congo, couldn’t instantly be reconciled.
Volunteers joined rescuers within the seek for survivors and for our bodies, whereas households mourned family members who had been among the many victims.
“We’re supervising the seek for our bodies with the river companies and accompanied by the victims’ households,” stated Nganzi.
Boat accidents are frequent on the Congo River and on the nation’s lakes due to the prevalent use of makeshift boats which are typically overloaded. The vast majority of the inhabitants within the nation’s northwest use the rivers to journey due to a scarcity of excellent roads and since it’s a inexpensive.
The Congolese authorities had banned night time journey all through the nation to keep away from accidents, though many defy the directive.