**Whaling boat sinks on Lake Mai-Ndombe Congo**
Tragedy struck Lake Mai-Ndombe in Congo, leaving behind a landscape of desolation and immeasurable human losses. The shipwreck that occurred on Tuesday, December 17, near the village of Isongo shook the province of Mai-Ndombe and the entire country.
The first reports indicate that 22 lifeless bodies were found, spread out on the banks of the lake. However, the authorities fear that this toll will rise further, as searches continue to find other missing persons. The governor of the province, Nkoso Kevani, quickly took stock of the situation and dispatched a team to the scene, composed of ministers and health officials, to coordinate rescue operations.
The probable causes of the sinking point to the overloading and dilapidated state of the whaleboat. The boat, already weakened by the years, gave way under the weight of the goods and passengers transported that day. Witnesses even speak of goods stacked on the roof of the whaler, increasing the risk of imbalance and disaster.
The local community is in shock, the spleen of loss and incomprehension hangs over the inhabitants of Isongo and Inongo. Senator Anicet Babanga, elected representative of Inongo, expressed his deep emotion in the face of this tragedy, stating that the death toll has risen to at least 40. Each human loss is felt with a unique intensity, recalling the fragility of life and the primordial importance of maritime safety.
Solidarity is being organized to help the bereaved families, while the authorities are doing everything possible to find the missing and pay tribute to the victims. The safety of lake transport is at the heart of concerns, and measures will certainly be taken to prevent such a tragedy from happening again in the future.
In this period of mourning and contemplation, Lake Mai-Ndombe remains the silent witness of a tragedy that will remain etched in memories. Unity and solidarity will be the pillars on which the community will have to rebuild, in the hope that such losses will never be repeated again.