Another overcrowded boat has sunk in the African nation of the Congo. Six million people have died in civil wars in the Congo’s east since 1996. Militias and bandits frequently kill civilians. To avoid being killed, people often travel in overcrowded boats, rather than using poorly-maintained roads where accidents are common, and motorists have to pass through checkpoints manned by violent militia.
On Thursday, a boat with 278 people sank on Lake Kivu, at the eastern edge of the Congo. At least 200 are dead, and others are missing. A frantic search and rescue operation occurred, but only managed to save about ten of the passengers.
The boat set off from the Congolese port of Minova on the morning of October 2, and was headed for Goma, the biggest city in the neighboring province of North Kivu.
The boat sank while trying to dock just feet away from the port of Kituku. Rescuers quickly retrieved at least dead 50 bodies from the water. Other bodies were retrieved later.
Most other passengers died, because there were no life jackets in the ship, and most of the passengers couldn’t swim. Also, there had been a strong storm in the morning, apparently causing the boat to take on some water.
In June, an overloaded boat sank near the Congo’s capital of Kinshasa, killing at least 80 passengers. In January, 22 people died on Lake Maî-Ndombe. Last April, at least 70 died in another boat sinking on Lake Kivu.
Witnesses of Thursday’s boat sinking said the boat was very overcrowded.
Families of the dead passengers assembled at the port of Kituku, accusing Congolese officials of incompetence.
Fighting recently resumed between the Congolese army and the M23 rebels, who are known to commit massacres. The fighting made the road between the cities of Goma and Minova impassable, resulting in people instead traveling by boat on Lake Kivu. It’s an alternative considered safer than road traffic, which is menaced by fighting and banditry.
But according to Elia Asumani, a shipping agent who works on this line, it has also become quite dangerous to travel by boat, due to overcrowding and the bad conditions of many boats: “We are afraid. This shipwreck was predictable.”
Bienfait Sematumba lost four family members.
“They are all dead. I am alone now,” he sobbed. “If the authorities had ended the war, this shipwreck would never have happened.”
The ten survivors retrieved by rescuers were taken to Kyeshero hospital. Survivor Neema Chimanga said she was still in shock.
“We saw the boat start to fill with water halfway. The door of the boat opened, and we tried to close it. But the water was already coming in, and the boat tilted. I threw myself into the water and started swimming. I don’t know how I got out of the water.”
