At least 143 people have been confirmed dead and dozens remain missing following a catastrophic boat fire and capsizing incident on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials reported on Friday.
The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday near Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province, where a wooden boat—overcrowded with hundreds of passengers and carrying fuel—caught fire at the junction of the Ruki and Congo Rivers, the latter known as the world’s deepest river.
According to Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, head of a national deputies’ delegation, 131 bodies were recovered on Wednesday, with 12 more found on Thursday and Friday, several severely burned. Rescue efforts are ongoing.
Joseph Lokondo, a local civil society leader involved in recovery efforts, stated that the provisional death toll now stands at 145, with victims having either drowned or perished in the resulting blaze.
According to Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, the tragedy was triggered by a fuel explosion, which was ignited by an open cooking fire onboard. “A woman lit embers to cook, and the fuel—stored nearby—ignited, causing an explosion that killed many children and women,” she said.#newsafro_
