Wooden Ship In Congo Sinks, 22 People Die

UNSPLASH/Mishal Ibrahim ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The ship sank in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, killing 22 people after a overcrowded upper deck collapsed.

Boat accidents often occur in Congo, where old wooden ships are a major inter-village means of transportation and often carry loads exceeding capacity.

The ship was carrying as many as 100 passengers when it sank on Tuesday, December 17, in western Mai-Ndombe province, local officials said.

The victims included 15 women, five men and two children. The search for other victims is still ongoing.

Until we have a safer metal boat, we will continue to experience ship accidents. There are thousands of wooden ships circulating in the waters of Mai-Ndombe, "said Lebon province governor NkosoEVani to Reuters, Wednesday, December 18.

Authorities were deployed to the area to conduct an investigation.

In October, 78 people sank when a ship carrying 278 passengers capsized on Lake Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.