As a result of a fire on a passenger ship in the equatorial province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to preliminary data, 32 people were killed.
According to local media, a ship called Hb Kokolo, who was heading from the port of banquit in the Mbandac region towards Bolomoba, suddenly caught fire.
According to preliminary data, on board there were not only a large number of passengers, but also flammable materials. It is reported that the number of passengers significantly exceeded the capacity of the vessel, which could also contribute to the emergence of the tragedy.
After the incident in the disaster area, search and rescue works were immediately started, but the authorities express the fears that the number of victims may increase.
This is not the first case of such a tragedy in the country: on April 10, another vessel crashed in the same region, which died 50 people.
In the Congo, where there are no sufficient amounts of asphalt roads, and therefore the transportation of people and goods is mainly ensured by rivers and lakes.
Especially in the season of heavy rains, such incidents become more frequent. The cause of disasters is not only the malfunctions of the courts, but also the overload and poor technical condition.