At least 193 people have been killed and many more are missing after two separate boat accidents this week in Congo’s northwestern Equateur province, according to authorities and state media.
The first tragedy occurred Wednesday in Basankusu territory when a motorized boat capsized, killing at least 86 people — most of them students — and leaving an unknown number unaccounted for. A day later, a second, larger accident took place when a whaleboat carrying nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized along the Congo River near Malange village in Lukolela territory.
Congo’s humanitarian affairs ministry said 209 survivors were rescued from Thursday’s disaster, but scores remain missing. The cause of the fire was not immediately known.
State media attributed Wednesday’s accident to improper loading and night navigation, factors often cited in Congo’s frequent boating tragedies. Overcrowded, poorly maintained wooden boats are a common mode of transportation as road infrastructure remains scarce, and many vessels travel at night without safety equipment, complicating rescue efforts and leaving many bodies unrecovered.
Images from the scene showed grieving villagers gathered around recovered bodies. Local civil society groups have blamed the government for lax enforcement of safety regulations and claim the death toll may be even higher than official figures.