Google Maps image locates Lukolela territory in Democratic Republic of Congo.
At least 107 people have died after a whaleboat caught fire in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to an internal government report seen by Reuters on Friday (September 12, 2025).
The boat, a narrow, double-ended open vessel caught fire on the Congo river near Malange village in Lukolela territory on Thursday (September 11, 2025) evening, leaving 146 people missing, the Ministry of Social Affairs said in the memo.
Rescue teams recovered 209 survivors, several with injuries, after the vessel burned and drifted downstream, the note said. The fire also destroyed cargo on board and ignited 15 riverside homes.
Search operations continued on Friday (September 12, 2025) with naval personnel and community volunteers combing the banks while authorities pledged medical care for the injured, assistance to bereaved families and the repatriation of survivors to their places of origin and destination.
River transport is a lifeline in Congo’s vast rainforest regions, where old, wooden vessels are the main form of transport between villages, but accidents are frequent due to overloading, poor maintenance and the use of riverboats at night.
The accident comes days after at least 86 people died in a separate boat capsize on Wednesday (September 10, 2025) night at the confluence of the Nsolo and Great Maringa rivers in Basankusu territory, northeast of Malange, after a river boat sank on Wednesday (September 10, 2025), Congo state media reported on Thursday (September 11, 2025) adding that local residents pulled eight survivors from the water.
“The motorised canoe… sank due to blatant overloading and nighttime navigation, which is formally prohibited,” civil society activist Akula Mboyo said in a statement.
Rescue operations are often hampered by limited resources and the remote locations of accident.
Published – September 12, 2025 11:14 pm IST
