IN a devastating turn of events, at least 78 people have been killed in a second major river tragedy in Africa within days. The latest disaster occurred when a boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday, according to Reuters. This tragedy follows closely on the heels of another incident where 60 people perished after a boat capsized on the River Niger just days earlier.
Reuters reports that the ill-fated vessel in the DRC was carrying 278 passengers when it overturned in Lake Kivu. Heartbreaking scenes unfolded on the shore as relatives sobbed while victims were placed in body bags and carried away. Video footage shared online captured the horrifying moment when the packed multi-deck vessel listed sideways in calm waters before capsizing, throwing passengers into the lake.
Jean Jacques Purisi, the governor of South Kivu province, told Reuters, “It’ll take at least three days to get the exact numbers because not all the bodies have been found yet.” The governor of neighbouring North Kivu province reported that 58 people had survived the accident, with the death toll currently confirmed at 28.
As authorities investigate the causes of this latest tragedy, the incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by passengers on Congolese waterways, where overloading of vessels is a common occurrence.
