148 dead after boat accident on DR Congo river

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - The death toll hit 148 from a boat accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier this week, an official said Friday.

The accident occurred late Tuesday in Mbandaka in Equateur province.

Sen. Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province said 500 people were on board the motorized wooden boat when it capsized after catching fire.

The dead include children, he told reporters, adding that hundreds remain unaccounted for, while more than 150 victims were rescued with varying degrees of burns.

He said several charred bodies were recovered from the burned boat.

Media reports indicated that the fire was ignited when a woman was cooking food aboard the boat.

Authorities had earlier put the number of dead at 50.

The HB Kokolo boat used to connect passengers from the port of Bolenge in Equateur province to a major market in Ngbondo village which serves several territories, according to media reports.

Water transport is common in Congo due to impassable roads.

The accident occurred days after more than 50 people perished after an overloaded boat capsized on the same river.