A devastating tragedy struck the Democratic Republic of Congo this week when a fuel-laden boat caught fire and capsized on the Congo River, killing at least 143 people and leaving many others missing. The incident occurred on Tuesday near Mbandaka, the capital of Equateur Province, at the junction of the Ruki and Congo rivers—one of the deepest waterways in the world.
According to Josephine-Pacifique Lokumu, a member of the national delegation from the region, the disaster began when a woman onboard attempted to light a cooking fire, which inadvertently ignited nearby fuel containers. The resulting explosion led to a massive blaze that quickly engulfed the overcrowded wooden vessel, which was carrying hundreds of passengers. Many of the victims were women and children.
By Friday, 131 bodies had been recovered, with an additional 12 found later, some severely burned. Civil society leader Joseph Lokondo, who assisted in the recovery and burial efforts, estimated the death toll at 145. He also noted that several families are still searching for missing loved ones, as a lack of a passenger list has hindered rescue and identification operations.
In the DRC, where functional road infrastructure is limited, river transport is a common but dangerous alternative. Sadly, such accidents are frequent and often fatal. Previous tragedies, including a boat sinking in October 2023 and a 2019 disaster on Lake Kivu, have claimed dozens to hundreds of lives—highlighting the ongoing risks faced by those relying on unsafe and overcrowded river travel.
