Over 50 Dead, Hundreds Missing After Passenger Boat Catches Fire and Capsizes in DR Congo (Video)

At Least 50 Dead, Hundreds Missing After Fire Causes Boat to Capsize on Late Night River Voyage

At least 50 people have died and hundreds more remain missing after a passenger boat caught fire and capsized on the Congo River in the northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident occurred late on the evening of Tuesday, April 15, near the town of Mbandaka.

Authorities confirmed that the motorized wooden vessel, HB Kongolo, was carrying around 400 passengers when the fire broke out. The boat had departed from the port of Matankumu and was en route to the Bolomba territory when the tragedy unfolded. According to Compétent Loyoko, a local river commissioner, the fire reportedly started when a passenger began cooking on board, a practice not uncommon on long river journeys in the region.

An aerial view of the Congo River on the outskirts of Mbandaka, Equateur Province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Eyewitness video footage captured the chaos as the boat erupted in flames, prompting many passengers—including women and children—to jump into the water in an attempt to escape. Many of those who leapt into the river drowned, unable to swim.

Dozens of passengers were rescued, with many suffering severe burns. Approximately 100 survivors have since been relocated to a temporary shelter established at the Mbandaka town hall. Authorities launched a large-scale search operation on Wednesday, April 16, to locate the missing.

Boating accidents are tragically common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where vessels are often overloaded and safety measures are minimal. Inadequate training and equipment among rescue teams exacerbate the dangers of such incidents. In December 2024, at least 38 people were killed and more than 100 went missing after a ferry sank in the Busira River. Just two months prior, another disaster claimed at least 78 lives when a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized.