Congo River tragedy kills at least 193 in just two days
River transportation in Congo (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two major boat accidents occurred over two days, claiming at least 193 lives, with dozens more reported missing, according to Sky News.
The first accident happened on Wednesday, September 11, near the city of Basankusu in the Equateur province. An overcrowded boat, carrying mostly students, capsized in the middle of the night. Local authorities reported that at least 86 passengers died.
The authorities cited overloading and the lack of basic safety measures as the cause of the tragedy. Witnesses said there were not enough life jackets on board, and rescue assistance arrived late.
The second tragedy occurred the following day, Thursday, September 12, in Lukolela district, also in Equateur province. A boat carrying nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized on the Congo River near the village of Malange. According to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, 107 people died, and 146 remain missing.
Authorities attribute the accidents to overloaded vessels, nighttime navigation, and the lack of proper safety measures.
However, NGOs and residents blame the government for chronic negligence, emphasizing that the tragedies could have been prevented if passenger numbers and vessel conditions were properly controlled. There are also suspicions that the death toll may be higher than officially reported.
River transport in Congo is the main means of connection between remote regions, but travel conditions are often dangerous: old boats, lack of regulation, overcrowding, and disregard for safety rules.
Such accidents happen regularly, yet the Equateur tragedy has shocked the nation, even in a country where water transport is considered one of the riskiest modes of travel.
Other major tragedies worldwide
Earlier, on Tuesday, August 20, one of the largest road tragedies in recent years occurred in western Afghanistan.
A bus carrying Afghan citizens, recently deported from Iran, was involved in an accident on a highway near the city of Herat and subsequently caught fire. According to local authorities, at least 76 people died, including 17 children.
In addition, on September 8, one of the deadliest train accidents in recent years occurred in Mexico. A freight train collided with a double-decker passenger bus, resulting in multiple casualties.
