At least 32 dead, dozens missing after boats capsize in Congo's Lake Tumba
KINSHASA (Reuters) -At least 32 people were killed and dozens remain missing in Democratic Republic of Congo's Equateur Province after two boats carrying more than 100 passengers capsized in Lake Tumba, local authorities told Reuters on Thursday.
The boats departed Bikoro port on the eastern shores of the lake on Wednesday afternoon despite "clear overloading and unstable weather conditions," according to a statement from a provincial civil society group, the Provincial Coordination of the Panel of Civil Society Experts of Equateur.
"Witnesses reported that the overcrowding was so severe that passengers were being turned away from the canoes," said Akula Dieu, a member of the civil society group.
Reuters could not confirm the weather conditions or details about possible overloading.
A state official, Bikoro Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba, told Reuters that a family had requisitioned two boats to transport people for a funeral from an unauthorised embarkation point.
Heavy waves caused by the rains struck the vessels, causing them to capsize, he said. Rescue efforts were ongoing, he added, but said responders faced challenges due to a lack of essential equipment, including life jackets and boats.
"We're forced to requisition private boats for this type of operation, but sometimes we don't even have enough fuel to carry out our work properly," Bongolomba said.
Deadly boat accidents are common in Congolese waters, where vessels are frequently overloaded, posing significant safety risks.
(Reporting by Fiston Mahamba in Kinshasa; Writing by Ayen Deng BiorEditing by Matthew Lewis)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
19 hours ago
- The Star
Golf-Third round of US Open underway at soggy Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -The third round of the U.S. Open got underway at a soggy Oakmont Country Club on Saturday with the early starters trying to close in on halfway leader Sam Burns on a treacherous course that was saturated by overnight rain. Burns, a five-times winner on the PGA Tour seeking his first major title, is three under for the week and will head out in the day's final pairing at 3:35 p.m. ET (1935 GMT) with a one-shot lead over playing partner J.J. Spaun. Viktor Hovland, who is two shots off the pace and the only other player under par, will be in the penultimate pairing with Australian Adam Scott, who is a further shot adrift in a share of fourth place with Ben Griffin. Thriston Lawrence, who was looking at a three-foot par putt on his final hole Friday when lightning forced a stoppage in play with 13 players on the course, completed his second round early on Saturday and is four shots back with Victor Perez. Lurking five shots off the pace in a four-way share of eighth place is LIV Golf's Brooks Koepka, who counts two U.S. Open titles among his five majors. Koepka will head out at 2:51 p.m. ET with Kim Si-woo. All players inside the cut line, which landed at seven over on the week, entered the weekend within 10 strokes of Burns. Pre-tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler, who was visibly frustrated while working on the range after a second-round 71 that left him seven shots off the lead, will set off at 1:02 p.m. ET alongside Cameron Young. "Around this golf course I don't think by any means I'm out of the tournament," Scheffler said on Friday. Former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, who made the cut on the number, went out early and bogeyed the opening hole. (Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Toby Chopra)
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
Tropical storm Wutip makes landfall in southern China, triggering closures and mass evacuations
BEIJING, June 14 — Tropical storm Wutip slammed into southern China yesterday, pounding coastal regions with gales and heavy rainfall, National Meteorological Centre said. Packing wind speeds of 108 km per hour near its centre, Wutip made landfall in Dongfang city on the resort island province of Hainan around 11pm (1500 GMT/11pm Malaysian time) after disrupting transport services, shutting schools and closing tourist attractions in the wider area. Wutip, the Cantonese word for 'butterfly', formed over the South China Sea this week and intensified into a tropical storm on June 11. It marked the fifth-latest start of the Pacific tropical cyclone season in recent times. — Reuters
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
At least 32 dead, dozens missing after boats capsize in Congo's Lake Tumba
KINSHASA (Reuters) -At least 32 people were killed and dozens remain missing in Democratic Republic of Congo's Equateur Province after two boats carrying more than 100 passengers capsized in Lake Tumba, local authorities told Reuters on Thursday. The boats departed Bikoro port on the eastern shores of the lake on Wednesday afternoon despite "clear overloading and unstable weather conditions," according to a statement from a provincial civil society group, the Provincial Coordination of the Panel of Civil Society Experts of Equateur. "Witnesses reported that the overcrowding was so severe that passengers were being turned away from the canoes," said Akula Dieu, a member of the civil society group. Reuters could not confirm the weather conditions or details about possible overloading. A state official, Bikoro Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba, told Reuters that a family had requisitioned two boats to transport people for a funeral from an unauthorised embarkation point. Heavy waves caused by the rains struck the vessels, causing them to capsize, he said. Rescue efforts were ongoing, he added, but said responders faced challenges due to a lack of essential equipment, including life jackets and boats. "We're forced to requisition private boats for this type of operation, but sometimes we don't even have enough fuel to carry out our work properly," Bongolomba said. Deadly boat accidents are common in Congolese waters, where vessels are frequently overloaded, posing significant safety risks. (Reporting by Fiston Mahamba in Kinshasa; Writing by Ayen Deng BiorEditing by Matthew Lewis)
