Tragic shipwreck on the Congo River: At least 47 people have lost their lives in a boat accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On Friday evening, a makeshift boat called a “whaler” capsized on the Congo River, causing numerous victims. According to the Minister of Transport, the death toll to date stands at 47, but the number of missing remains unknown.
This accident is unfortunately common in the country, where travel by river is often necessary due to the lack of passable roads. The Congo River and its tributaries are widely used for the transport of goods and passengers, but shipwrecks are unfortunately recurrent, regularly causing a heavy human toll.
In this specific case, the causes of the accident are attributed to the overloading of the boat, as well as to its navigation during the night. The Minister of Transport recalls that these practices are prohibited and that measures must be taken to avoid such accidents in the future. He calls for the establishment of a commission of inquiry to determine responsibilities and prevent new incidents.
President Félix Tshisekedi also reacted to this tragedy by asking the government to take measures to avoid shipwrecks in the future. It underlines in particular the need for better marking of waterways, to limit the overloading of boats and to ensure their compliance with the regulations in force.
This tragedy highlights the need to improve transport infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in particular waterways, which play an important role in the country’s economic development. It is essential to put an action plan in place to ensure the safety of travelers and prevent such accidents in the future.
This tragic accident on the Congo River once again serves as a reminder of the importance of transport safety and highlights the need to improve infrastructure and regulations to prevent further tragedies. It is essential that authorities take concrete measures to ensure the safety of passengers and prevent such accidents from happening in the future.