Catastrophe off the Congo coast: Fears of numerous casualties as vessel sinks
In the Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Kivu, a boat incident occurred at Goma's port, resulting in significant casualties. Initial reports suggested over 450 individuals were aboard, but by evening, the representative from the government, Venant Rugusha Descartes, claimed 700 people were on the boat.
Out of these, 45 individuals were successfully rescued, while 126 bodies were recovered by the evening. Based on rough estimates, Descartes believes at least 500 bodies are still trapped within the submerged vessel. Nevertheless, conflicting tales persist regarding the exact number of individuals on board. The South Kivu province's governor, Jean-Jacques Purusi, provided a different account to the AP news agency, putting the count at 278 passengers.
According to eyewitnesses, the vessel, seemingly overloaded, experienced a swift capsizing and sank. Francine Munyi, someone who was present at Kituku harbor, recalled seeing a boat loaded with Minova passengers arriving from the neighboring province. The boat started to lose balance, slipped into the lake, and eventually sank. Regrettably, only a few individuals were rescued. Munyi expressed her regret that she couldn't assist, stating that she cannot swim.
The list of survivors was publicly displayed at the Goma morgue. This ferry had embarked from Minova, a neighboring province, and was heading towards the city near the Rwanda border. Owing to Africa's second-largest country's underdeveloped road network, many rely on boats and passenger ferries as their primary mode of transport across the vast lakes and rivers.
Regrettably, such severe boat accidents are not uncommon across Africa. The majority of the vessels are outdated, overloaded, and poorly maintained, making them accident-prone. Regulations, such as the use of life jackets, are often disregarded in such instances. As recent as last Tuesday night, at least 60 individuals lost their lives in a shipwreck on the Niger River in northern Nigeria. According to official reports, about 300 individuals were aboard, with 150 still unaccounted for.
The European Union expressed its condolences over the boat tragedy in the Democratic Republic of Congo and offered assistance for search and rescue operations. Recognizing the prevalence of such accidents in Africa, the European Union has been advocating for improved safety standards and regulations for passenger ferries.
