Staff Reporter.
At least 78 people have died after a boat capsized in Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, a provincial governor said.
Governor of South Kivu province Jean Jacques Purisi told the Reuters news agency on Thursday that 278 people had been on board the boat before it overturned.
“It’ll take at least three days to get the exact numbers, because not all the bodies have been found yet, “Purisi told Reuters.
The governor of the neighbouring North Kivu province said at least 58 people had been rescued.
The boat, which had come from the town of Minova in South Kivu province, sank on Thursday morning, only 100 metres (328 feet) from its destination at the shore of Goma.
An increasing number of people have opted to cross the northern tip of Lake Kivu by boat to reach Goma in often overcrowded vessels to avoid land travel in an area prone to fighting between Congolese government forces and M23 rebels.
Since M23 launched an offensive in late 2021, the group has seized large parts of territory in the eastern DRC, increasing its military presence and the number of armed groups in the area.
Source:Fullview and News Agencies.