Local authorities said on Friday that at least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a fire and fire in a motorized wooden boat.
The boat was carrying 500 passengers, including women and children, when it was overturned in the Congo river located in the north -western region of the country on Tuesday.
27 North Western Congo after dead
Boating accidents are common in Congo, where old, wooden ships are mainly of transport between villages and are often loaded beyond capacity.
The flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo is seen on May 26, 2023 in Beijing. (Photo by Wang Shin/VCG)
The report said that the officials estimate that hundreds of people are still missing. The number of dead was earlier 50.
A boat named HB Kongolo caught fire near the city of MBANDAKA, which left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba region.
Sky News reported that about 100 remaining people were taken to an instantaneous shelter in the local town hall, while people with burn injuries were taken to local hospitals.
The incident occurred when a woman caught fire when a woman was cooking on the vessel, River Commissioner Loyoko told the Associated Press.
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The report said that many passengers, including women and children, died after jumping into water without being able to swim.
In 2024, at least 78 people drowned, when a boat with 278 passengers was captured in Kivu Lake of Eastern Congo. In a separate event, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in western Congo in December.
