At least 80 people were killed after a boat carrying more than 270 passengers capsized on a river near Congo’s capital of Kinshasa, President Félix Tshisekedi said Wednesday, as reported by news agency AP. The boat capsized late Monday in Maï-Ndombe province along the Kwa River, a statement quoting Tshisekedi said.
According to the Congo's President, the boat carrying 271 people to the Congo's capital, Kinshasa, sank following an engine failure. Out of the 271 people, 86 passengers lost their lives while 185 managed to swim ashore, some 70 kilometres (43 miles) near the closest city of Mushie, Maker said, as reported by AP. He stated that the boat hit the edge of the river bank and broke up.
Following the incident, President Félix Tshisekedi expressed his grief on social media. He assured help and assistance for the heartbroken victims, along with launching a thorough investigation to unearth the root cause of this incident.
In a post on X, Tshisekedi said, “The President of the Republic is calling for an investigation into the true causes of this unfortunate incident to prevent such a disaster from happening again in the future.”
According to the AP, Congolese officials have often issued warnings against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. However, in the remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport on the few available roads.