Boat mishap: 58 die, several missing in Central Africa

Tragedy struck as the overloaded river boat, packed with mourners en route to a funeral in the heart of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, capsized on Saturday.

Thomas Djimasse, who leads the civil protection, told Radio Guira that they had found 58 bodies, but they weren’t sure how many more were still underwater.

He said, “We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies, we don’t know the total number of people who are underwater.”

The boat was carrying more than 300 people, going to a funeral. Some were standing, and others were sitting on makeshift wooden seats when it sank in the Mpoko river. The accident happened shortly after the boat left.

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Originally bound for the solemn funeral rites of a revered village chief, the vessel’s journey was cut short mere moments after it embarked. Rescue efforts were hampered by the swift currents and the chaos that ensued.

Maurice Kapenya, trailing the ill-fated boat in a canoe due to lack of space aboard, found himself amidst a scene of unspeakable tragedy. With the aid of fishermen and compassionate locals, he retrieved the lifeless bodies of victims, including his own sister.

In the aftermath, amidst the anguish and desperation, acts of kindness emerged. Francis Maka, a motorbike taxi driver, recounted his frantic trips to ferry the injured to the community hospital, his services rendered free of charge in the face of overwhelming sorrow.

As the day wore on, with civil protection teams no longer present, families clung to hope by the riverside, aided by hired canoe operators. Against the backdrop of mourning, the resilient spirit of the community shone through, a beacon of solidarity in the face of tragedy.