The death toll from a tragic boat fire and capsizing earlier this week on the Congo River has risen to 148, with more than 100 people still unaccounted for, officials confirmed Friday. The vessel had been carrying approximately 500 passengers at the time of the disaster.
The wooden boat capsized Tuesday after catching fire in the country’s northwest region, resulting in the deaths of at least 148 people, while dozens remain missing, according to officials.
The catastrophe unfolded when a fire ignited onboard as a woman was cooking, river commissioner Compétent Loyoko told The Associated Press. The flames spread rapidly, and in the ensuing panic, several passengers, many of them women and children leapt into the river without knowing how to swim, leading to a high number of drownings.
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Dozens of people were rescued, though many survivors sustained severe burns. Search efforts for those still missing have continued with the support of Red Cross teams and provincial authorities.
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The vessel, identified as the HB Kongolo, was a motorized wooden boat that caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, Loyoko reported. It had departed from the port of Matankumu and was en route to the Bolomba territory.
“The death toll among the 500 passengers on board was extremely high,” said Senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province on Friday. “As we speak, more than 150 survivors suffering from third-degree burns are without humanitarian assistance.”
Deadly boat accidents are tragically common in the central African nation, where overcrowded vessels and nighttime departures are frequent despite safety concerns. Enforcement of maritime regulations remains inconsistent, contributing to repeated tragedies on the water.
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With road infrastructure lacking across vast swaths of the country, rivers are the primary mode of transport for many of Congo’s more than 100 million residents. In remote areas, wooden boats overloaded with people and cargo are often the only available option. As a result, hundreds have perished in similar accidents in recent years.
“Our magnificent Congo River and the lakes our country abounds in have become huge cemeteries for the Congolese people. This is unacceptable,” said Bofili.
