- The authorities say that the wooden boat caught fire and overturned in the Congo River.
- Let’s say the accident took place on Tuesday near the city of Mbandaka.
- The fire began when the woman cooked on board, the officials say.
At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught and overturned, media reports said quoting local officials on Friday.
The authorities said hundreds are still missing after the boat caught fire and overturned Tuesday at the Congo River, the reports added.
The ship carried up to 500 passengers, including women and children, when it overturned in the Congo River, located in the northwest region of the country, according to reports.
Navigation accidents are common in Congo, where old wooden ships are the main form of transport between villages are often loaded far beyond capacity.
Officials estimate that hundreds of people remain missing, the reports added. The death toll was previously estimated at 50.
The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught fire near the city of Mbandaka, after leaving the port of Matankumu for the territory of Bolomba.
About 100 survivors were taken to an improvised shelter at the local City Council, while those with burns injuries were taken to local hospitals, Sky News reported.
The incident occurred when a fire began when a woman was cooking aboard the ship, said the compétent Loyoko, the commissioner of the river, the Associated press.
Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into the water without being able to swim, the report added.
In 2024, at least 78 people drowned when a boat that transported 278 passengers overturned in Lake Kivu, the east of the Congo. In a separate incident, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in December at Western Congo.
