A ferry full of people returning home for Christmas capsized in the northeastern Bushira River, killing at least 38 people.
advertisementMore than 100 people were reported missing on Saturday, and 20 people have been rescued so far, officials and witnesses said.
The sinking of the ferry late Friday comes less than four days after another vessel capsized in the northeast, killing 25 people.
The ferry was traveling as part of a convoy of other ships and its passengers were mainly merchants returning home for Christmas, said Joseph Joseph Kangolingoli, mayor of Ingende, the last town before the accident site.
According to Ndolo Kaddy, a resident of Ingende, the ferry “made two ports on the way to Boende, Ingende and Loolo, so there is reason to believe there were more deaths because there were more than 400 people on board.”
Congolese officials often warn against overloading boats and have vowed to punish those who violate safety measures on the river. However, in remote areas, there are few roads available and many people cannot afford public transportation.
And overloaded boats capsizing are becoming more common. For security reasons, more people are abandoning the few roads available in favor of wooden ships that break under the weight of passengers and goods.
Roads are often engulfed in deadly clashes between Congolese security forces and rebels, blocking key access routes.
In October, at least 78 people drowned when an overloaded boat sank in the eastern region, and in June, 80 people were killed in a similar accident near Kinshasa.
The accident sparked anger at the government for not equipping the convoy with flotation devices.
Nasty Bonina, a local government member and public figure in Mbandaka, the capital of Équateur province, where the ferry sank, criticized authorities for failing to properly handle the recent sinking.
“How can a vessel sail at night under the watchful eye of river service personnel? And now we are recording more than 100 deaths,” Bonina said.
