- According to managers, a wooden boat caught fire and capsized in the Congo River.
- Say that the misadventure took place Tuesday near the city of Mandaka.
- The fire started when the woman cooked on board, the officials say.
At least 148 people were found dead in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a motorized wooden boat caught fire and capsized, media reports citing local officials said on Friday.
The officials said hundreds of people were still missing after the boat caught fire and overthrew on the Congo river on Tuesday, reports.
The ship carried up to 500 passengers, including women and children, when it capsized in the Congo river, located in the northwest region of the country, according to reports.
Navigation navigation accidents are common in Congo, where old wooden ships are the main transport between villages and are often loaded far beyond capacity.
The officials believe that hundreds of people remain missing, added the reports. The number of deaths was previously estimated at 50.
The boat, called HB Kongolo, caught fire near the city of Mbandaka, after leaving the port of Matankumu for the territory of Bolomba.
A hundred survivors were taken to an improvised refuge at the local town hall, while those who have burned injuries were taken to local hospitals, said Sky News.
The incident occurred when a fire started while a woman was cooked on the ship, the river commissioner told Loyoko, the river commissioner Associated Press.
Several passengers, including women and children, died after jumping in the water without being able to swim, added the report.
In 2024, at least 78 people drowned when a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized in Lake Kivu, in the east of the Congo. In a separate incident, at least 22 people died after a river boat sank in December in the west of Congo.
