At least 22 people died after two boats collided on the Congo River near the town of Ngombe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, provincial officials confirmed. The crash happened just after 2 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to Crispin Mputu, the interior minister for Equateur province.
One of the vessels was a commercial boat running the route between Kinshasa and Mbandaka. The other was a passenger riverboat travelling from Mongala province to Kinshasa. The impact caused the passenger boat to sink, according to Mputu.
A security source told Reuters the passenger boat was carrying 163 people when it went down. Rescue teams recovered 22 bodies, which authorities have buried. Another 59 people were pulled from the water and survived. Mputu said more victims might have been buried in other locations.
The sunken riverboat remains underwater at a depth of 12 meters. Recovery efforts were still underway on Monday evening, Mputu added.
River transport is the main way to move people and goods in western Congo, where many towns line the Congo River. Overcrowding and poor maintenance often lead to accidents.
The collision near Ngombe is one of several recent incidents involving riverboats in the region. Officials have not released details on what caused the boats to collide. The investigation is ongoing.
This latest tragedy adds to a long list of deadly accidents on the Congo River, where thousands rely on river travel every day despite safety risks.
According to Joy Online.
