By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) – The death toll from a boat accident in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 78, with dozens of people still missing, a local official said Thursday.
The boat, carrying around 278 people, was headed to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, from Minova in South Kivu province when it capsized earlier Thursday in Lake Kivu near the village of Mukwidja in the territory of Kalehe, according to Jean-Jacques Purusi, the governor of South Kivu.
The provisional death toll is 78, and the bodies were transported to the morgue of the general hospital in Goma and several people remain unaccounted for, said Purusi.
The search for missing people was still underway by marines, teams from the Red Cross, and Doctors Without Borders.
The governor said the boat was overloaded with passengers and goods and sank after it failed to withstand a violent wave.
A statement issued by the president’s office said President Felix Tshisekedi learned of the accident with dismay and sent his condolences to the bereaved families.
An investigation has been launched to establish the cause of the accident, in which 58 people were rescued, it said.
A video seen by Anadolu showed the white and blue painted boat moving sideways before capsizing in the lake.
A woman who seems to have recorded the video, which was shared on social media, is heard screaming in the Swahili language popular in Eastern Africa “Yesuu, batu banayisha!” meaning “Jesus, people are dying!”
Sources said the boat capsized a few minutes before docking at the Port of Kituku in Goma.
Boat accidents have become frequent in DR Congo, where water transport is common due to mostly impassable roads. Such accidents often result in huge death tolls.