100 people feared drowned in a boat accident in Congo DR
More than 100 people have disappeared after the boat carrying them overturned and sank in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The boat, which had 300 people, was heading to Nioki town from Oshwe when it sank in Kutu area in Lukenie River in Mai-Ndombe region.
Jacques Nzenza Mongie, the local administrator, told reporters on Tuesday that the boat hit a tree trunk under the water and capsized, adding that 20 bodies, including those of four women, had been recovered by Tuesday evening, and operations of searching for several people whose whereabouts are unknown is ongoing.
The exact number of survivors was not yet known as of press time, but local media have put the number of survivors as of yesterday evening at 43.
Nkoso Kevani Lebon, the Governor of Mai-Ndombe state, has extended his condolences to the families who lost their loved ones in the accident, and announced that strict measures will be taken to prevent boat accidents.
The accident happened two months after another boat sank in June and killed more than 80 people in the Kwa river, west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Fatal boat accidents occur regularly in Congolese waters, especially due to the fact that many water vessels are overloaded with people. The country has few paved roads in its vast forested area, and most transportation is by water.
