Over 100 dead as Congo river boat catches fire

KINSHASA: At least 107 people have died after a whaleboat caught fire in western Democratic Republic of Congo, according to an internal government report cited by Reuters.

The narrow, double-ended vessel went up in flames on the Congo River near Malange village in Lukolela territory on Thursday evening. The Ministry of Social Affairs said 146 people remain missing.

Rescue teams recovered 209 survivors, many with injuries, after the vessel burned and drifted downstream. The blaze also destroyed cargo and spread to 15 riverside homes.

Search operations continued Friday, with naval personnel and community volunteers combing the riverbanks. Authorities pledged medical treatment for the injured, assistance to families of the victims, and repatriation of survivors to their original destinations.

River transport is the main mode of travel in Congo’s vast rainforest regions, where proper roads are scarce. But accidents are common due to overloading, poor maintenance, and nighttime travel.

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The tragedy comes just days after another deadly accident on Wednesday night, when at least 86 people were killed in a shipwreck at the confluence of the Nsolo and Great Maringa rivers in Basankusu territory, northeast of Malange. Local residents managed to rescue eight survivors.

Civil society activist Akula Mboyo said the motorised canoe sank “due to blatant overloading and nighttime navigation, which is strictly prohibited.”

Rescue efforts are frequently hampered by poor resources and the remoteness of accident sites. Reuters said it could not independently verify the Basankusu death toll, and officials were not immediately available for comment.

Deadly boat accidents are a regular occurrence in the central African nation. Vessels often travel without life jackets, overloaded with passengers and cargo, while nighttime navigation makes rescue efforts more difficult and leaves many victims unaccounted for.

Congo relies heavily on its extensive river network for transport and trade, but safety standards remain dangerously low.

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