A tragic boating accident led to 50 people dying and hundreds going missing. On the evening of Tuesday, April 15, a boat in the Democratic Republic of Congo caught fire and capsized.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Boat Accident Kills 50 People After It Catches On Fire And Sinks
The boat was carrying 400 passengers that night, according to river commissioner Compétent Loyoko, per Associated Press. It was a motorized wooden boat that began to spark flames near the town of Mbandaka. The boat called HB Kongolo was heading toward Bolomba territory after leaving the port of Matankumu.
The authorities managed to save dozens of passengers who survived with terrible burn injuries. Rescue teams began the search on Wednesday with support from provincial authorities and the Red Cross. They took around 100 survivors to an improvised shelter at the Mbandaka town hall, and anyone with injuries to local hospitals.
Unfortunately, many passengers died after jumping into the water to escape the fire. This was due to them, mostly women and children, not knowing how to swim. Loyoko told the outlet that the inferno began when a woman was cooking on the ship.
A video shared by Lokmat Times showed the devastating fire from bystanders who caught the incident on film. Sadly, onlookers had to helplessly watch as the fire spread throughout the boat.
If you think this is a rare case, you're unfortunately wrong. AP News mentioned that deadly boat accidents have been quite common in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is mostly due to overcrowded travel vessels in which authorities aren't equipped or prepared for when accidents occur.
They have also struggled with enforcing maritime regulations. People of this African country use its rivers for transport often, especially within remote areas. It's even worse when these incidents happen overnight. By the time rescuers came for this boat, it was already the next day.
Just a few months ago, in December 2024, 38 people died and 100 went missing in a similar situation. An overloaded ferry capsized on the Busira River in northeastern Congo. Worst of all, this ferry was full of people returning home for Christmas.
