The death toll from a tragic river boat accident in western Democratic Republic of Congo has climbed to at least 29, with 128 survivors confirmed and an unknown number of passengers still missing, according to local authorities.
The accident occurred on Sunday night when a boat carrying between 250 and 300 passengers capsized after striking submerged tree trunks in a river within Kutu territory.
“Overloading and nighttime navigation, both in violation of regulations, are believed to have caused this disaster,” Kutu administrator Jacques Nzeza told Reuters by phone.
The 29 confirmed dead include 15 women and one child, Nzeza reported.
Fidele Lizoringo, head of a local civil society group, revealed that fishermen had spotted four additional bodies floating in the river, though they were unable to retrieve them.
Lizoringo also stated that 152 survivors had been registered, though the total number of missing remains uncertain due to the lack of precise information on how many people were aboard the vessel. Some survivors reportedly left the scene before they could be officially counted, complicating rescue efforts, Nzeza added.
River travel is a common but hazardous mode of transportation in the central African country, where paved roads are scarce across its vast, forested expanse. Overloaded vessels are frequently involved in fatal accidents.