United News of Bangladesh

The number of deaths from a devastating boat accident on the Congo River earlier this week has climbed to 148, with over 100 people still unaccounted for, officials confirmed Friday. The vessel was carrying around 500 passengers when the disaster occurred. The wooden motorboat, named HB Kongolo, caught fire and capsized Tuesday near Mbandaka in northwestern Congo. According to river commissioner Compétent Loyoko, the fire reportedly began when a woman was cooking aboard the vessel. The panic that followed led many passengers, including women and children, to jump into the river—many of whom could not swim. While dozens were rescued, many survivors suffered severe burns. Rescue efforts, aided by the Red Cross and local authorities, are ongoing in hopes of finding those still missing. Senator Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province noted the tragedy’s scale, stating, “Among the 500 passengers, the loss of life is enormous.” He also emphasized that over 150 burn victims are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. Congo flood kills 33, officials rush aid efforts Boat accidents are tragically frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often due to overcrowding, unsafe travel at night, and lax enforcement of maritime safety rules. With poor infrastructure and limited road access, many Congolese rely on river travel, increasing the risks. “Our beautiful Congo River and the lakes throughout our country have sadly become mass graves for our people,” said Bofili. “This cannot continue.”  

Divers  recovered the body of a man from Laiska Canal in Bijoynagar upazila of Brahmanbaria district on Friday midnight, raising the death toll from a trawler capsize in the canal to 21. Fire services sources said they managed to recover the body around 12am. On Friday evening , over 20 people drowned and many more went missing as a trawler sank after being hit by another sand-laden one in the Laiska Canal. Although the identities of the deceased could not be known yet, sources said most of the victims were women and children. Read: Bay of Bengal trawler capsize: 4 bodies recovered Officer-in-charge of Brahmanbaria Sadar Model Police Station Md Imranul Islam told UNB that fire service drivers have been working relentlessly to trace out the missing passengers. A witness, identifying himself as Rizvi, said the trawler was carrying nearly 100 passengers. Read: Netrakona trawler capsize: Death toll reaches 12 Bangladesh, a delta nation crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers, sees such tragic incidents regularly.

At least 24 people were killed and 189 injured in three days of clashes in New Delhi that coincided with U.S. President Donald Trump's first state visit to India, with the death toll expected to rise as hospitals continue to take in the wounded, authorities said Wednesday.