BANGUI: At least 58 people died after an overloaded boat capsized in the capital city of the Central African Republic, Bangui. The boat was en route to a funeral of a village chief, the head of civil protection said on Saturday.
Thomas Djimasse, speaking to Radio Guira, reported that rescuers were able to retrieve 58 lifeless bodies from the waters, but the total number of individuals submerged remains unknown. “We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies. We do not know the total number of people who are underwater,” Thomas Djimasse said.
Eyewitnesses and social media videos showed a harrowing scene of the overloaded vessel, carrying more than 300 passengers, with some standing and others perched on wooden structures, before it overturned on the Mpoko river on Friday.
The boat was on its way to the funeral of a village chief when disaster struck shortly after departure, prompting rescuers to arrive on the scene 40 minutes later.
Maurice Kapenya, who followed the boat in a canoe due to lack of space on board, recounted the grim task of collecting the bodies of victims, including his own sister, with assistance from fishermen and local residents.
The tragedy has left families devastated, with many seen near the river on Saturday, desperately searching for their missing loved ones.
