At least 143 people have died and dozens remain missing after a fuel-laden boat caught fire on the Congo River in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, officials said Friday.
“A first group of 131 bodies were found on Wednesday, with a further 12 fished out on Thursday and Friday. Several of them are charred,” said Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, a member of parliament leading a delegation from the region.
The tragedy occurred earlier this week but details have been slow to emerge due to the remoteness of the area. Authorities and local volunteers are continuing search and recovery efforts along the river.
Joseph Lokondo, a local civil society leader who assisted in the burials, said the “provisional death toll [stands] at 145: some burned, others drowned.”
While the exact cause of the fire remains unclear, preliminary reports suggest the vessel was transporting both passengers and flammable cargo. Incidents of overloaded and poorly maintained river transport are common in the DRC, where waterways remain a key mode of transportation.
Government officials have yet to release an official list of missing persons.
