The fire started as a woman was cooking on board the boat, officials said, adding that children were among those who died after jumping in the water
The number of people found dead after a boat accident in Congo has risen to 148, officials have said. They say hundreds are still missing after a motorised wooden boat caught fire and capsized on Tuesday in the Congo River.
Dozens were saved following the accident on the Congo River late on Tuesday night, many of them with bad burns. The search for the missing was underway Wednesday with rescue teams supported by the Red Cross and provincial authorities.
The motorised wooden boat with about 400 passengers caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, Compétent Loyoko, the river commissioner, said. The boat, HB Kongolo, had left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory.
About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised shelter at the Mbandaka town hall. Those with burn injuries were taken to local hospitals.
The incident began while a woman was cooking on board, Loyoko said. Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim.
Deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations.
Congo’s rivers are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people, especially in remote areas where infrastructure is poor or nonexistent.
Hundreds have been killed in boat accidents in recent years as more people abandon the few available roads for wooden vessels packed with passengers and their goods.
Dozens were saved but many of the survivors were left badly burnt. The search for the missing included rescue teams supported by the Red Cross and provincial authorities. The motorised wooden boat caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, Loyoko said. The boat, HB Kongolo, had left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory.
“The death toll among the 500 passengers on board was extremely high,” said senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili on Friday. “As we speak, more than 150 survivors suffering from third-degree burns are without humanitarian assistance.”
Deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations. Congo’s rivers are a main means of transport for its more than 100 million people, especially in remote areas with little infrastructure. Hundreds have been killed in boat accidents in recent years as more people abandon the few available roads for wooden vessels packed with passengers and their goods.
“Our magnificent Congo River and the lakes our country abounds in have become huge cemeteries for the Congolese people. This is unacceptable,” said Bofili.
The number of dead had previously been estimated at 50. On Friday, senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province said 500 people were on board, adding: “As we speak, more than 150 survivors suffering from third-degree burns are without humanitarian assistance.”
The fire started as a woman was cooking on board the boat, said Competent Loyoko, the river commissioner. Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim, officials said.
About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised shelter at the local town hall, while those with burn injuries were taken to local hospitals.
