150 people go missing following the sinking of the boat on Lake Kivu in Congo – Congo safari News

About 150 people were missing after a boat sank in an eastern lake in the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Felix Tshisekedi said on Twitter on Tuesday, a day after the vessel went down. “I express my sincere compassion to the families who have suffered. The disaster happened Monday evening, but details of the incident were only just emerging Wednesday.

The boat set off Monday from the village of Kituku, near the city of Goma on Lake Kivu’s northern shore, and sank in South Kivu Province near the territory of Kalehe. Many of the victims were believed to be traders who make the journey each week.

Vital Muhini, the national deputy from South Kivu Province, said the cause of the sinking was unknown. “For the moment, we want to have the exact number and the names of the victims who have embarked on this boat,” Mr. Muhini said. Vital Muhini, national Deputy from South Kivu province told CNN on Wednesday that 37 people have been rescued so far and three bodies were recovered from the site of the sinking. Muhini said the overloaded boat departed from the port of Kituku in Goma in eastern Congo when it capsized into the lake in South Kivu province.

Early investigations into the disaster revealed that passengers were not wearing life jackets and a passenger manifest was not available to account for the total number of people on board the boat, Muhini said. "It's unfortunate to find that people travel aboard a small boat and there is not even a manifest, with a heavy cargo of goods. The people had no life jackets, ... which calls for the sanctions of all the perpetrators who contributed to this sinking," Muhini told CNN.

Fatal boat accidents frequently occur along waterways in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the Congo River and on the country's lakes, where water is a primary means of transport for residents outside its major cities. The country sacked its transport minister after a string of accidents along its waterways in 2011 in a move to tighten safety issues in the sector. More than 100 were declared missing after two boats collided on the Congo River in 2015, according to the World Health Organization.

The agency said passenger boats often sink in the country due to the age of the vessels and their failure to follow rules of navigation. This incident doesnt stop you from enjoying a Congo safari, a Congo gorilla safari, a Congo wildlife safari or any other visit to the National Parks in Congo including Kahuzi Biega National Park Congo.