Congolese authorities launch investigations into deadly boat accidents

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities have launched investigations into two recent deadly boat accidents, including the capsizing of an overcrowded boat on Lake Kivu on Thursday which killed at least 78 people.

“These investigations will aim to clarify the circumstances of these unfortunate events and establish responsibilities so that the people who are at the root of these accidents are prosecuted before the competent courts,” the ministry of justice said in a statement late Thursday.

The authorities said they were investigating Thursday's accident, as well as the capsizing of a boat last month on the river Kwango.

At least 78 people died when a boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, according to local authorities. Many remain unaccounted for from the vessel, believed to have had 278 people on board. Jean-Jacques Purusi, the governor of the South Kivu province, said the death toll was provisional and that the number of fatalities could rise further.

The boat set off from the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was on its way to Goma, eastern Congo. The boat sank while trying to dock just meters (yards) away from the port of Kituku, according to witnesses who said they saw rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water.

The dramatic footage filmed by a witness and obtained by The Associated Press shows the overcrowded boat tilt and capsize within less than a minute as it was approaching the port.

It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country, where overcrowding on vessels is often to blame. Maritime regulations also are often not followed.

Congolese officials have repeatedly warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. But in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.

Purusi, the governor, said a lack of adequate equipment — there were no life jackets on the vessel — likely contributed to the tragedy, as did the overcrowding and negligence. There had also been a strong storm in the morning in the area of the lake, he added.

The victims’ families and Goma residents gathered at the port of Kituku, accusing authorities of negligence in the face of growing insecurity in the region.

Many food traders have resorted to water transport on Lake Kivu since fighting between the armed forces and the M23 rebels made the road between the cities of Goma and Minova impassable. It’s an alternative considered safer than road traffic.

But Elia Asumani, a shipping agent, said the situation has become dangerous.

“We are afraid,” he told the AP. “This shipwreck was predictable.”

Bienfait Sematumba, 27, said he lost four family members.

“They are all dead. I am alone now,” he said, sobbing. “If the authorities had ended the war, this shipwreck would never have happened.”

Pronczuk reported from Dakar, Senegal.

FILE - People displaced by the ongoing fighting gather at refugee camp on the outskirts of Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Thursday, July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa, File)

People gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, killing scores. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, killing scores. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

An ambulance carries victims away from the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Onlookers gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

An ambulance carries victims away from the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

An ambulance arrives at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Women grieve at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

KISELJAK, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — A severe rainstorm struck Bosnia overnight Friday, killing at least 14 people and flooding several towns and villages in central and southern parts of the country.

Rescue services in the south of the country reported several people missing and called on volunteers and the army to assist as roads were closed and houses left without electricity.

Darko Jukan, a spokesman for the local administration in the southern town of Jablanica, said at least 14 people had died.

Defense Minister Zukan Helez told N1 regional television that troops have been engaged to help and that the casualties were reported.

Helez said that “hour after hour we are receiving news about new victims … We sent everyone we could. Our first priority is to save the people who are alive and buried in houses where the landslides are.”

Rescue services in the towns of Jablanica and Kiseljak said the power was off overnight and cellphone service was down. mobile phones lost their signal.

The Jablanica fire station said that the town was completely inaccessible because roads and trainlines were closed.

“The police informed us that the railroad is also blocked,” the state rescue service said in a statement. “You can’t get in or out of Jablanica at the moment. Landline phones are working, but mobile phones have no signal.”

It urged people not to venture out on the flooded streets.

Human-caused climate change increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air can carry more moisture. This summer, the Balkans were also hit by long-lasting record temperatures, causing a drought. Scientists said the dried-out land has hampered the absorption of floodwaters.

Drone footage broadcast on Bosnian media showed villages and towns completely submerged under water, while videos on social networks showed dramatic scenes of muddy torrents and damaged roads.

Photos show that one of the busiest roads linking Sarajevo with the Adriatic coast via Jablanica was swept into a river together with a railway line in a huge landslide.

“Many people are endangered because of big waters and landslides. There is information about victims and many injured and missing persons,” said the civic protection service.

Authorities urged people to stay on upper floors. Reports said surging waters swept away domestic animals and cars as the water swiftly filled up the lower floors of buildings.

The heavy rains and strong winds were also reported in neighboring Croatia where several roads were closed and the capital of Zagreb prepared for the swollen Sava River to burst its banks.

Heavy winds have hampered traffic in the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea, and flash floods caused by heavy rain threatened several towns and villages in Croatia.

Floods caused by torrential rains were also reported in Montenegro, south of Bosnia, where some villages were cut off and roads and homes flooded.

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AP writers Dusan Stojanovic and Jovana Gec contributed from Belgrade, Serbia.

Vehicles are partially submerged in flood waters outside an apartment building in the village of Kiseljak, northern Bosnia, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A motorcycle is partially submerged in flood waters outside an apartment building in the village of Kiseljak, northern Bosnia, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

A car is submerged in flood waters outside an apartment building in the village of Kiseljak, northern Bosnia, Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)