Dozens drown in central African ferry disaster (VIDEO)
The vessel carrying 278 passengers sank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
At least 78 people have been confirmed dead after a ferry capsized on Lake Kivu in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, local authorities have said.
The vessel, carrying 278 passengers, had set off from Minova in South Kivu and sank near Goma, a few hundred meters from its destination, on Thursday morning.
A video circulating on social media shows the boat dangerously tilting before going under.
“It’ll take at least three days to get the exact numbers, because not all the bodies have been found yet,” regional Governor Jean Jacques Purisi told Reuters news agency.
Among the casualties were two children who were rushed to hospital but could not be saved, according to AFP. Rescue efforts were spearheaded by local fishermen, along with personnel from the Congolese armed forces and the Southern African Development Community.
“An investigation has been opened under the authority of the deputy prime minister in charge of transport to establish the causes of this accident and take strict measures so that such a tragedy does not happen again,” Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s office said.
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A similar disaster occurred on Tuesday night in Nigeria’s northern Niger state. At least 60 people died when a boat carrying mostly women and children capsized. The passengers were returning from a religious festival when the wooden vessel, reportedly carrying nearly 300 people, sank in a river near the Gbajibo Community. Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, chairman of the Mokwa local government area, has confirmed that around 160 people have been rescued so far.