At least 38 dead and more than 100 missing after ferry carrying Christmas travelers sank in Busira River.
At least 38 people have died and more than 100 others remain missing after a ferry carrying passengers traveling for Christmas capsized on a river in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials and witnesses said.
So far 20 people have been rescued after the ferry sank in the Busira River late on Friday. It was traveling as part of a convoy of other ships and the passengers were mostly merchants returning home for Christmas, said Joseph Joseph Kangolingoli, the mayor of Ingende, the last town on the river before the accident scene.
According to Ndolo Kaddy, a resident of Ingende, the ferry “carried more than 400 people as it stopped at two ports, Ingende and Loolo, on the way to Boende, so there is reason to believe there were more deaths,” reported the Associated Press news agency.
Central government authorities have not yet commented on the incident or provided any further details about the rescue operations. Al Jazeera could not independently verify the casualty figures reported by AP.
Congolese officials have often warned against overloading boats and promised to punish those who violate safety measures on rivers. However, many people in remote areas cannot afford public transport on the few roads available.
The incident came less than four days after another boat capsized in the northeast of the country, killing 25 people.
At least 78 people drowned In October, a boat reportedly carrying hundreds of passengers capsized on Lake Kivu in the east of the country.
Another 80 died in an accident similar accident on the Kwa River, about 70 km (43 miles) from the town of Mushie in Mai-Ndombe Province, near Kinshasa, in June.
