Boat sinks on DR Congo lake; 30 dead, 200 missing

• Posted on May 27, 2019
• by Ellsamwise King
• Comment

At least 30 people are feared dead after a boat sank on Lake Mai-Ndombe in western Democratic Republic of Congo, local reports say.

The vessel is reported to have been carrying more than 400 people, of which 170 have been saved while more than 200 are still missing.

Last month, at least 167 people died in two boat accidents on Lake Kivu.

The reason for this accident is unclear but it is believed to have been overloaded with passengers.

DR Congo, which is about the size of mainland western Europe, has a poor road network and many areas are inaccessible unless by air or boat – and the country’s only super-highway is the Congo River.

Recent boat accidents have prompted Félix Tshisekedi, who became president in January, to make it mandatory for passengers to wear life jackets.

But it is not clear if those on the boat that sank on Saturday evening as it was travelling from Inongo – the provincial capital of Mai-Ndombe Province – to Boliangwa were wearing any.

Source: BBC