At least 107 people have died and 146 remain missing after a whaleboat caught fire on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to an internal government report obtained by Reuters on Friday.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening near Malange village in Lukolela territory when the narrow, double-ended vessel burst into flames. The Ministry of Social Affairs confirmed that the blaze destroyed both cargo and 15 riverside homes as the burning boat drifted downstream.
Rescue teams, including naval personnel and community volunteers, managed to recover 209 survivors, several of whom sustained injuries. Authorities have promised medical care for the injured, support for bereaved families, and repatriation of survivors to their destinations.
River transport remains a crucial lifeline in Congo’s remote rainforest regions, but accidents are common due to overloading, poorly maintained wooden boats, and dangerous nighttime navigation.
The disaster comes just days after another tragedy in Basankusu territory, where at least 86 people drowned when a motorised canoe sank late Wednesday night at the confluence of the Nsolo and Great Maringa rivers. Only eight survivors were rescued by local residents.
Civil society activist Akula Mboyo attributed that wreck to “blatant overloading and nighttime navigation, which is formally prohibited.”
Rescue operations in both accidents have been hindered by limited resources and the remote locations of the incidents.
