Provincial Governor Jean-Jaques Purusi states that 278 passengers were on board the boat. At least 78 of them perished.
– The boat turned around. When it flipped around, some threw themselves into the water and started swimming while others remained in the boat, says a woman who was on board.
– I don’t remember how I was saved because I passed out, she continues.
Boat accidents are not uncommon in the Congo. Among other things, 80 people died when a boat sank near the capital Kinshasa this summer.
22 died in January
Before that, 22 people died in another boat accident in January this year on Lake Mai-Ndombe. The causes of the accidents are often overcrowded boats and that maritime rules are not followed. According to Purusi, there were no life jackets on board the ship.
At the same time, many believe that shipping is relatively safe in eastern Congo because fighting between government forces and rebels has made road transport unsafe.