The Republic of Central Africa was swept by consternation Friday 19th April as news of boat capsized in the Mpoko river in Bangui spread like wild fire throughout the country. Eyewitness said that the wooden boat was far overloaded above capacity, with people standing while some were hanging on the boat wherever they could. The majority of the people were said to be heading for a funeral ceremony a village chief some 45 kilometers from Bangui the capital of the Central African Republic
The boat had not gone far from the beach, family member who came to bid their love ones farewell were still standing with their phones at hand taking videos and photos as the boat was sailing into the deeper waters when it break loose right in its middle in front of their eyes. Some passengers of the sinking boat were able to swim to banks of the river while others were rescued by local fishermen with their canoes that were nearby. While rescue service showed up 40 minutes later
“We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies,” Thomas Djimasse told Radio Guira. “We don’t know the total number of people who are underwater”. Some corps were already floating at the time of writing.
The head of civil protection said that the boat was outdated and that the authorities responsible at the loading port did not respect the quantity of luggage and people in the boat for that trip.
The Central African Republic is a country with enormous mineral resources including gold and diamond but it is rated among the list developed in the world. The country has gone through a lot of civil war and unrest in the last decade but with the present regime under president Faustin-Archange, with the backing of the Russian troops on ground, there is relative calm.