Death toll rises in Congo Lake Tumba accident as search for survivors goes on
KINSHASA, June 16 (Reuters) - The death toll has risen to at least 45 after three motorized canoes capsized in Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Tumba last Wednesday, a local official said, as the search for survivors continued.
Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba said some 45 people were killed in the accident, while others were believed missing. The search for survivors was under way with Red Cross help, he added, with 100 people or so confirmed alive so far.
"Some survivors were afraid to come forward, fearing they might be arrested for using an unauthorized navigation route not controlled by the state," said Bongolomba.
The interior ministry said 48 people were reported dead.
Bongolomba said it was unclear exactly how many people were aboard because the three boats had departed from an unauthorized port. A commission of transport inspectors is now in Bikoro to investigate the accident, he said.
A civil society group said after the accident that some 200 people were aboard the vessels and they were overloaded.
Vice Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani said in a statement on Sunday that bad weather had caused the accident.
Reuters could not independently confirm details about the overloading of the vessels.
Deadly shipwrecks are frequent in Congo, where infrastructure challenges and lax safety standards exacerbate risks for waterway passengers.
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Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Death toll rises in Congo Lake Tumba accident as search for survivors goes on
KINSHASA, June 16 (Reuters) - The death toll has risen to at least 45 after three motorized canoes capsized in Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Tumba last Wednesday, a local official said, as the search for survivors continued. Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba said some 45 people were killed in the accident, while others were believed missing. The search for survivors was under way with Red Cross help, he added, with 100 people or so confirmed alive so far. "Some survivors were afraid to come forward, fearing they might be arrested for using an unauthorized navigation route not controlled by the state," said Bongolomba. The interior ministry said 48 people were reported dead. Bongolomba said it was unclear exactly how many people were aboard because the three boats had departed from an unauthorized port. A commission of transport inspectors is now in Bikoro to investigate the accident, he said. A civil society group said after the accident that some 200 people were aboard the vessels and they were overloaded. Vice Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani said in a statement on Sunday that bad weather had caused the accident. Reuters could not independently confirm details about the overloading of the vessels. Deadly shipwrecks are frequent in Congo, where infrastructure challenges and lax safety standards exacerbate risks for waterway passengers.
BBC News
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DR Congo flooding: Heavy rains in dry season in Kinshasa kill at least 29
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Reuters
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- Reuters
At least 32 dead, dozens missing after boats capsize in Congo's Lake Tumba
KINSHASA, June 12 (Reuters) - At least 32 people were killed and dozens remain missing in Democratic Republic of Congo's Equateur Province after two boats carrying more than 100 passengers capsized in Lake Tumba, local authorities told Reuters on Thursday. The boats departed Bikoro port on the eastern shores of the lake on Wednesday afternoon despite "clear overloading and unstable weather conditions," according to a statement from a provincial civil society group, the Provincial Coordination of the Panel of Civil Society Experts of Equateur. "Witnesses reported that the overcrowding was so severe that passengers were being turned away from the canoes," said Akula Dieu, a member of the civil society group. Reuters could not confirm the weather conditions or details about possible overloading. A state official, Bikoro Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba, told Reuters that a family had requisitioned two boats to transport people for a funeral from an unauthorised embarkation point. Heavy waves caused by the rains struck the vessels, causing them to capsize, he said. Rescue efforts were ongoing, he added, but said responders faced challenges due to a lack of essential equipment, including life jackets and boats. "We're forced to requisition private boats for this type of operation, but sometimes we don't even have enough fuel to carry out our work properly," Bongolomba said. Deadly boat accidents are common in Congolese waters, where vessels are frequently overloaded, posing significant safety risks.
