The Kasai River disaster occurred on July 29, 2010 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), when an overloaded passenger ferry capsized on the Kasai River in Bandundu province, east of Kinshasa. At least 80 people are confirmed dead, with other death tolls putting this figure closer to 140.
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Due to the country's lack of roads outside major cities, ferries and river transport are a major component of transport in DRC. The disaster occurred on the Kasai River, a tributary of the Congo River, in the western Bandundu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, east of the capital, Kinshasa.[1][2][3] The boat was travelling to Kinshasa from the town of Mushie in Bandundu's western Kwilu district, which is 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the city of Bandundu, that province's capital.[2][3][4]
The government stated that boat owners in the DRC were frequently negligent, and adherence to insurance rules and maintenance was often lax.[1] Fatal maritime accidents are frequent in the DRC and are often blamed on overloading, with the past decades of conflict in the region having destroyed the country's infrastructure, leaving aircraft and boats as the best or only option for travel.[1][2][3] According to Agence France-Presse, other frequent causes are the poor state of navigable channel signage, the lack of signal lights on vessels, and inexperienced pilots, while most vessels fail to meet basic safety standards.[3] The country, which is comparable in size to the whole of Western Europe, has just a few hundred kilometres of paved roads outside the cities.[2]
According to the government, the disaster occurred when the boat capsized after hitting a rock.[4] The boat was badly overloaded according to police, with many passengers unable to swim. Police initially attributed the cause of the capsize to rough weather, although the government also said that low water levels on the river due to the dry season may have been the cause, leading to a higher chance of boats snagging or hitting submerged sandbanks.[1][2]
Conflicting accounts have been given for the date and exact location of the accident, with Information Minister Lambert Mende Omalanga stating on 29 July that it took place on Tuesday 27 July at Mangutuka river post, about 120 kilometres (75 mi) from Kinshasa, while he had earlier stated it took place on Wednesday, 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Kinshasa,[1] while another account from Mende stated it occurred near Maluku district, about 80 miles (130 km) from Kinshasa.[4] Several secondary reports have also said it occurred on Wednesday, 28 July.[2][3]
The DRC Navy and local Red Cross personnel travelled to the scene of the accident to assist in the search for survivors and in collecting the dead.[1]
A provisional police death toll stated 138 people had died, while at the same time the Transport Ministry toll was lower at 80 confirmed dead.[1][2] In the report of 80 dead, there were also said to be 76 known survivors, although both figures were thought likely to rise with searches for survivors, and due to the presence of many unrecorded passengers on the boat.[3] The official manifest listed "about 180 passengers" according to the government.[3] According to one report, the boat was carrying "about 200 passengers" in all.[4] An unnamed official in the local governor's office said that 140 people were dead.[3] Another unnamed source stated that just two children were believed to have survived the disaster.[3]