Women grieve at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers crashed on arrival Thursday.
Moses Sawasawa/AP
hide caption
change the caption
Moses Sawasawa/AP
GOMA, Congo – At least 78 people died when an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, the local governor said. A search-and-rescue operation was launched several hours later as many were not found from the ship, which is believed to have 278 people on board.
Jean-Jacques Purisi, the governor of South Kivu province, said the death toll was temporary and the death toll could rise. He said that according to the information that the local authorities have, there are 278 people on the ship.
The boat left the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was on its way to Goma, in North Kivu province, Purisi said, speaking by phone.
“We don’t have (a complete picture of) the whole situation yet, but we will get it tomorrow,” he told The Associated Press.
The boat capsized while trying to dock just a few meters (yards) from Kituku port, according to witnesses who said they saw rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water.
It is the latest boat accident in the central African country, where overcrowded vessels are to blame. Maritime regulations are also often not followed.
Congolese officials often warn against overloading and vow to punish those who violate security measures for water transport. But in areas far from many commuters, many cannot afford public transportation for the few roads available.
“We will assess responsibility and set up a sanctions regime but also make recommendations to improve navigation on the lake,” Purisi told AP.
He added that a lack of adequate equipment – there were no life jackets on board – may have contributed to the tragedy, as did overcrowding and carelessness. Besides, there was a strong storm in the morning on the lake, he added.
In June, an overloaded boat capsized near the capital Kinshasa and 80 passengers died. In January, 22 people died in Lake Maî-Ndombe and in April 2023, six people died and 64 people went missing in Lake Kivu.
Witnesses to Thursday’s tragedy said the boat appeared crowded.
People gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds of passengers crashed as it arrived on Thursday.
Moses Sawasawa/AP
hide caption
change the caption
Moses Sawasawa/AP
“I was at Kituku port when I saw a boat coming from Minova, full of passengers,” Francine Munyi told AP. “It started to lose its balance and fell into the lake. Some people fell into the water.”
“Many died, and few were saved,” he added. “I can’t help him because I don’t know how to swim.”
Victims’ families and Goma residents gathered at Kituku port, accusing the authorities of ignoring the insecurity in the area.
Since the fighting between the armed forces and the M23 rebels made the road between the cities of Goma and Minova impassable, forcing the closure of the road for trucks transporting food, many traders use maritime transport on Lake Kivu. It is an alternative that is considered safer than road traffic, which is threatened by unsafe conditions.
But according to Elia Asumani, a shipping agent who works on this line, the situation has become dangerous:
“We are scared,” he told the AP. “This ship is predictable.”
Bienfait Sematumba, 27, said he lost four family members.
“They all died. I am alone now,” he said with tears in his eyes. “If the authorities had stopped the war, this shipwreck would not have happened.”
The survivors, about 10 people, were taken to Kyesero hospital for treatment. One of them, Neema Chimanga, said she was still in shock.
“We saw the boat starting to fill with water in the middle of the road,” he told the AP. “The door of the boat was open, and we tried to close it. But the water had come in, and the boat was tilted.”
“I threw myself into the water and started swimming,” she said. “I don’t know how I got out of the water.”
