At least 107 people have died after a whaleboat caught fire and drifted downstream the Congo River in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to an internal government report seen by Reuters on Friday.
The boat, a narrow, double-ended open vessel caught fire near Malange village in Lukolela territory on Thursday evening, leaving 146 people missing, the Ministry of Social Affairs said in the memo. Rescue teams recovered 209 survivors, several with injuries, the note said.
The fire also destroyed cargo on board and ignited 15 riverside homes. Search operations continued on Friday with naval personnel and community volunteers combing the banks while authorities pledged medical care for the injured, and the repatriation of survivors to their places of origin and destination.
River transport is a lifeline in Congo's vast rainforest regions, where old, wooden vessels are the main form of transport between villages, but accidents are frequent due to overloading, poor maintenance and the use of riverboats at night.
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