At least 78 die as ferry capsizes on DR Congo lake
At least 78 individuals have lost their lives following the capsizing of a ferry on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, occurring just a few hundred meters from its destination.
The vessel was en route from the town of Minova in South Kivu and sank as it approached the shore of Goma on Thursday morning.
A video circulating online captures the moment the boat tilts to one side before going under.
According to a regional governor, there were 278 passengers on board.
“It will take at least three days to determine the exact numbers, as not all bodies have been recovered,” Governor Jean Jacques Purisi told Reuters.
Local activist Aaron Ashuza, who witnessed the event, informed the BBC that he saw bodies being retrieved from the water and that the injured had been transported to a hospital.
At least two children died after they were taken to hospital after the accident, according to AFP.
Speaking from his hospital bed, 51-year-old survivor Alfani Buroko Byamungu, told Reuters news agency that conditions on the water seemed “calm”.
He added: “I saw people sinking, many went under. I saw women and children sinking in the water, and I myself was on the verge of drowning, but God helped me.”
Bahati Selemani, a dock worker who took part in the rescue effort, described what happened.
“We saw the boat start to capsize. We noticed that the boat was very overloaded and there were also strong waves,” he told AP news agency.
“After that, the boat started to capsize little by little. Those who were upstairs started to throw themselves into the lake, and the boat capsized directly into the lake.”
Such accidents are common in DR Congo, where boats are frequently overcrowded with passengers who are rarely given safety jackets and often cannot swim.
Rescue operations are made difficult as some ships rarely have passenger manifests.