At least 50 people have died in a tragic boating accident. Hundreds of people are still missing as well. On Tuesday night, a boat caught fire and ended up capsizing into the Congo River in northwestern Congo.
The resulting boat accident killed dozens and dozens of people and left hundreds more unaccounted for. It's likely that this death toll will rise as rescue crews search the river waters for any signs of survivors. Fortunately, they managed to save dozens after the boat capsized into the Congo River on Tuesday night.
Sadly, many of these survivors face life-altering injuries. The intense heat and fire left several of them with burns that range from minor to severe. They are currently seeking medical treatment for their injuries. The boat disaster was so bad that the Red Cross and other authorities had to get involved and lend a hand in the rescue and recovery efforts.
50 People Die After Boat Sinks
So far, rescue teams have been scouring the water since Tuesday night into Wednesday. However, the odds of survival on Thursday for anyone not found by now is remarkably lower. In the face of a tragedy like this, we can only ask why something like this happened. So far, the exact cause of the fire is unknown, but authorities do have one working theory.
However, we do know that it was a motorized wooden boat. The vessel caught fire near Mbandaka, Compétent Loyoko, after leaving the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory. It sadly didn't make it that far into its trip. There were more than 400 people on board the boat. Investigators believe that a woman cooking on the boat may have caused the fire.
As the fire whipped through the ship, several passengers including children jumped to their deaths. They braved the waters unable to swim after being forced to escape the flames. These passengers sadly drowned.
Survivors have been taken to burn hospitals. I wish I could say tragedies like this are uncommon. But overcrowded boats are often to blame for these mass casualties. Likewise, the African country lacks proper infrastructure on its water ways.
