KINSHASA, April 19 – A catastrophic boat fire and capsizing on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has left at least 143 people dead and dozens missing, officials confirmed on Friday.
The wooden boat, overloaded with passengers and carrying fuel, caught fire on Tuesday near Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province, at the junction of the Ruki and Congo rivers—the latter being the world’s deepest river.
According to Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, head of a national parliamentary delegation, 131 bodies were recovered on Wednesday, with 12 more discovered on Thursday and Friday. “Several victims were badly burned,” Lokumu added, confirming many of the bodies were charred beyond recognition.
The exact number of passengers onboard remains unknown, but reports suggest the vessel was overcrowded, a common problem in the region where river transport is often unsafe and poorly regulated.
Rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, as families and authorities continue to search for missing individuals.
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