At least 148 people have died in a tragic incident where a wooden motorized boat caught fire and capsized in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), a country in Central Africa. The accident occurred on Thursday in the Congo River in the northwestern part of the country.
According to reports published in various Congolese media outlets, the boat was carrying over 500 passengers, including women and children, when the fire broke out. Police and rescue officials reported that the motorized boat, named HB Kongolo, was en route from Matanuku port to the Bolomba region. The fire started when the boat reached the Mbandaka area and it sank shortly afterward.
A senior officer from Congo’s river police, Competent Loyoko, told Associated Press that the fire began from the deck of the boat where a woman was cooking.
Around 100 people were rescued alive from the sunken boat. Among the survivors, those who suffered burn injuries have been taken to the hospital for treatment.
Boat accidents are not uncommon in Congo. Most of the boats used for public transportation are old and defective. Moreover, they are often overloaded with passengers and cargo beyond their capacity.
In 2024, 78 people died in a boat accident in Lake Kivu in eastern Congo. In the same year, at least 22 people were killed in a boat capsize in a western river region in December.