Overloaded Boat Overturn Leaves Thirty Dead in DRC
The tragedy unfolded over the weekend in western DRC, though authorities delayed public disclosure until midweek. The vessel was transporting approximately 100 passengers departing from Kingukukapayi, Kusu, and Fambondo villages within Bagata territory, local legislator Gary Sakata reported.
Twenty educators comprised the majority of casualties, all traveling to Bandundu city for their monthly wage collection, while remaining passengers were en route to purchase supplies for upcoming year-end celebrations, Sakata told media.
The lawmaker condemned what he described as a "dysfunctional" civil servants' pay system in rural areas, saying: "We cannot lose 20 teachers, the equivalent of two schools, because they went to collect their salaries more than 100 kilometers (over 62 miles) away."
Rescue teams recovered 30 survivors from the water. The vessel, which was also transporting 700 bags of cement and cassava, reportedly struck a submerged stationary object before sinking.
River transportation remains the primary transit method across Congo due to widespread road infrastructure deterioration, resulting in frequent maritime accidents that claim numerous lives annually.
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