Congolese authorities launch investigations into deadly boat accidents

KINSHASA, Congo — Congolese authorities have launched investigations into two recent deadly boat accidents, including the capsizing of an overcrowded boat on Lake Kivu on Thursday which killed at least 78 people.

“These investigations will aim to clarify the circumstances of these unfortunate events and establish responsibilities so that the people who are at the root of these accidents are prosecuted before the competent courts,” the ministry of justice said in a statement late Thursday.

The authorities said they were investigating Thursday’s accident, as well as the capsizing of a boat last month on the river Kwango.

At least 78 people died when a boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, according to local authorities. Many remain unaccounted for from the vessel, believed to have had 278 people on board. Jean-Jacques Purusi, the governor of the South Kivu province, said the death toll was provisional and that the number of fatalities could rise further.

The boat set off from the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was on its way to Goma, eastern Congo. The boat sank while trying to dock just meters (yards) away from the port of Kituku, according to witnesses who said they saw rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water.

The dramatic footage filmed by a witness and obtained by The Associated Press shows the overcrowded boat tilt and capsize within less than a minute as it was approaching the port.

It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country, where overcrowding on vessels is often to blame. Maritime regulations also are often not followed.

Congolese officials have repeatedly warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. But in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.

Purusi, the governor, said a lack of adequate equipment — there were no life jackets on the vessel — likely contributed to the tragedy, as did the overcrowding and negligence. There had also been a strong storm in the morning in the area of the lake, he added.

The victims’ families and Goma residents gathered at the port of Kituku, accusing authorities of negligence in the face of growing insecurity in the region.

Many food traders have resorted to water transport on Lake Kivu since fighting between the armed forces and the M23 rebels made the road between the cities of Goma and Minova impassable. It’s an alternative considered safer than road traffic.

But Elia Asumani, a shipping agent, said the situation has become dangerous.

“We are afraid,” he told the AP. “This shipwreck was predictable.”

Bienfait Sematumba, 27, said he lost four family members.

“They are all dead. I am alone now,” he said, sobbing. “If the authorities had ended the war, this shipwreck would never have happened.”

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Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal.