ZCZC
BFF-39
DRCONGO-BOAT-SINK
Over 40 killed as riverboat sinks in northwest DR Congo
KINSHASA, Oct 12, 2018 (BSS/XINHUA) – More than 40 people were drowned
after a boat sank last Saturday night on the Ubangi River in northwestern
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local authorities in the North Ubangi
Province said.
Gbodi Kete, the administrator of the territory of Bosobolo told Xinhua
late Thursday that among the dead were at least 18 Central African Republic
citizens whose bodies have been recovered with the other Congolese passengers
who died during the accident.
The boat that was already in a dilapidated state was sailing nightly from
the Central African Republic on the River when it capsized, he added.
A source of the cabinet of the governor of North Ubangi Province said that
more people could be drowned because so far the exact number of passengers
and goods from the country of departure was not known.
Cases of shipwrecks on the lakes and rivers are not uncommon in DR Congo.
The poor condition and overloading of the boats are often the root cause for
most of these accidents. In addition, authorities say night travel on waters
also increases safety risks.
Since the beginning of this year, authorities have even decided to
prohibit all night navigation of boats on the river to avoid accidents.
In September, 27 people died in a wreck that occurred on the Mongala River
in Mongala province in the northwest of the country.
BSS/XINHUA/SSS/1938 hrs