At least 193 people have died and dozens are missing after two separate boat accidents in the Democratic Republic of Congo this week, authorities and state media have reported.
The accidents happened on Wednesday and Thursday, about 150 kilometres apart in the Equateur province, in the northwest of the country.
A boat with nearly 500 passengers caught fire and and capsized Thursday evening along the Congo River in the province’s Lukolela territory, said Congo’s humanitarian affairs ministry in a report.
Some 209 survivors were rescued following the accident, which involved a whaleboat near the village of Malange.
A day earlier, a motorised boat capsized in the Basankasu territory of the province, in which at least 86 people died, most of them being students according to state media. Several people were reported missing, although the exact number remains unclear.
State media attributed Wednesday’s accident to “improper loading and night navigation” although it remains unclear what cased either accident and whether rescue operations are ongoing. A local civil society group blamed Wednesday’s accident on the government and claimed the toll was higher.
Images appeared to show villagers gathering around bodies and mourning at the scene of the accidents.
More and more boats appear to be capsizing in the central African nation as more people abandon the few available roads for cheaper, wooden vessels crumbling under the weight of passengers and their good. Life jackets are rare and the vessels are usually overpacked in such trips, many of which take place at night.
The nocturnal nature of these boat journeys means rescue efforts become more complicated when accidents do occur and more bodies are left unaccounted for.
Just last year, Congolese officials warned against the practice of overloading and vowed to punish those who violate safety measures for water transportation.
The warning came as more than 80 people died last June after a boat carrying more than 270 passengers capsized on a river near Kinshasa, Congo’s capital.
Despite warnings from Congolese officials, boats continue to be overloaded as in remote areas, where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport.
