At least 193 people have died after an overloaded motorised boat capsized in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Equateur province, authorities confirmed on Saturday. According to international media reports, the ill-fated vessel was carrying far more passengers and cargo than its capacity when it overturned in a river late at night.

Officials said the boat suddenly lost balance and sank, triggering one of the deadliest river tragedies in recent years. Rescue workers have so far recovered over 100 bodies, while dozens remain missing.

Local officials warned that chances of survival for those still unaccounted for are slim, though search operations continue with the help of nearby villagers.

Tragically, the majority of those killed were students traveling from their villages to nearby towns for their studies.

Local media blamed poor navigation at night and improper cargo loading for the disaster. The provincial administration has called for stricter safety measures to prevent such accidents in the future.

Grieving families of those killed in Nepal’s anti-corruption demonstrations said they hope the deaths will not be in vain, as the protesters’ choice of interim prime minister took charge Saturday.

Among the dead was 30-year-old Santosh Bishwakarma, one of at least 51 people killed in two days of chaos this week— the worst unrest since the end of a decade-long civil war and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008.

His widow Amika, also 30, her eyes swollen with grief, recalled his “ultimate dream” to “die having contributed to the nation”.

Santosh was shot dead on Monday during the first wave of protests, led by the youth-driven “Gen Z” movement.

A temporary social media ban sparked the demonstrations, tipping longstanding frustration over entrenched corruption and economic malaise into wider anger.

“He used to say he wouldn’t die like a dog,” Amika told AFP in her modest Kathmandu home, clutching a framed photo of her late husband.

“His dream was to make Nepal known to the world — and he did.”

‘Just equality’

KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old leader of the Communist Party, quit as prime minister a day after Santosh’s death and as protesters torched parliament, ending his fourth term in the post.

On Friday, former chief justice Sushila Karki was sworn into office to lead a six-month transition to elections.

Thousands of young activists had used the app Discord to debate the next steps — and name Karki as their choice of next leader.

But Amika, now raising her 10-year-old son Ujwal and seven-year-old daughter Sonia alone, fears for the future.

“My husband would have done everything to fulfil their dreams, even at the cost of his life,” she said.

“But how am I supposed to manage everything on my own? He sacrificed his life for the country, and I hope the new government will help me.”

Family friend Solan Rai, 42, said he believed the protests marked a turning point.

“I hope we finally see real change this time,” he said, adding that the anger had been “more intense than anything we’ve seen before”.

The World Bank said a “staggering” 82% of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment—among the highest rates in the world. Its GDP per capita stands at just $1,447.

At Kathmandu’s Pashupatinath temple on Friday, hundreds gathered for mass cremations.

Families wept over the bodies of loved ones, including young men shot dead in the clashes.

“I hope there is some justice— and our people finally get the change they so desperately seek,” said Ratna Maharjan, grieving for her son, breaking down into tears.

One mother refused to release her son’s body, wrapped in a shroud, clinging to him on the temple steps.

Nearby, police officers laid garlands of marigolds on their fallen colleague as a bugler played over the smoke-filled riverbank.

Amika’s plea was simple.

“What we seek isn’t too much to ask— just equality,” she said. “So the rich don’t thrive while the poor languish.”

An old video of a Nepali schoolboy’s fiery speech against corruption and unemployment has resurfaced online, gaining fresh attention amid ongoing unrest in the country.

The clip features Ora, a young student, passionately calling for a stronger nation to secure the youth’s future. The clip was reportedly recorded six months ago in an annual school function, in which head boy Ora highlighted the deteriorating situation in the country caused by corruption, unemployment, and other problems posed by authorities.

“Nepal, our mother, this country gave us birth, nurtured us. But what did it ask in return? Just our honesty, our hard work, our contribution,” he said, highlighting, “what are we doing? We are bound by the chains of unemployment, fleeing abroad in search of opportunities, and we are trapped by the selfish games of the political parties. Youth, rise, if we do not raise our voices, who will?”

“We are the fire that burns away the darkness, we are the storm that will sweep away the injustice and bring prosperity. Nepal is ours, and its future is in our hands.”

The video went viral on social media when Nepal was experiencing a Gen Z revolution after demonstrations that erupted on social media led to the forced resignation of former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and led to the fall of his government last week.

Last week, Oli’s government imposed a social media ban, blocking access to several online platforms after it said the platforms had failed to register themselves with the government.

Critics said it was an attempt to throttle free speech, a charge the government denies, citing misuse of social media to spread disinformation and commit fraud, among other concerns.