Kabila heads to tanker inferno site

Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila left Kinshasa Monday to visit the eastern town of Sange, the site of a fuel tanker blast and fire that claimed 238 lives, his office said.

Kabila earlier declared two days of mourning from Monday following the disaster which happened when a fuel tanker overturned Friday and later exploded into flames in the town of 50 000 people close to the border with Burundi.

The president took a flight from the capital earlier on Monday, heading for Sange, to “console” the bereaved people of the town, a presidential office source who asked not to be named told AFP.

The death toll rose to 238 on Monday from 235 the previous day after the death of three severely injured victims, a local relief organisation spokesperson, Emmanuel Umbwe, said.

Most of the dead, including around 60 children and 30 women, were buried in three mass graves late Saturday in Sange, where flames engulfed dozens of earth-and-straw homes.

The fireball also spread rapidly to a local cinema hall where a crowd had gathered to follow World Cup football matches being played in South Africa.—Sapa