Ship catastrophe in Lake Kivu: Hundreds of deaths after misfortune at Goma

Von WOM

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, there was a tragic boat accident that could have cost several hundred lives. The accident occurred not far from Goma's port in Lake Kivu. The first reports indicated that there were more than 450 passengers on board the ferry, but an official representative, Venant Rugusha Descartes, increased the number of passengers in the evening to alarming 700.

So far, only 45 survivors could be saved and 126 corpses recovered. Descartes assumed that there are still around 500 deaths in the sunken ship. The ferry, which was probably overloaded, capsized and sank within a very short time.

savior and survivors

The list of rescued passengers was posted in the corpse halls of Goma to make identification easier for relatives. The ferry was on the route from Minova in the province of South Kivu to Goma in the direction of Rwanda when the catastrophe entered.

in a country in which the road network is strongly neglected, such boat trips are often the only way for many people to move. Heavy boat gaps are not uncommon in Africa; The affected ships are mostly old, overloaded or technically in a unfortunate condition. Safety regulations are also often disregarded, such as the provision of life jackets for passengers.

Another example of the dangers on water paths recently occurred in Northern Nigeria, where at least 60 people died on the Niger River while falling a ship. There were around 300 people on board, 150 of whom are considered missing. Such incidents illustrate the risks associated with maritime passenger traffic in this region.

The dramatic location in Goma gives rise to concern and shows again how susceptible the infrastructure in the Congo is. The circumstances of this tragedy are not only an expression of the challenges in transportation, but also a reminder for the need for the need for more strict safety protocols on the waters of Africa.