Over 200 feared dead after river boat capsizes in western DR Congo

Officials in the western province of Maï-Ndombe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have confirmed that 20 people were killed while over 200 hundred more have gone missing following an accident involving a river boat over the weekend.

The unnamed wooden vessel was transporting over 300 people across the Lukeni River when it struck a partially submerged barge. The vessel then capsized, dumping its occupants into the water.

Search and rescue (SAR) teams were eventually able to pull 46 survivors and 20 deceased individuals from the river. Officials said that one of the recovered deceased victims was a nine-month-old infant.

An official attributed the incident to overloading and the fact that the vessel was travelling at night, which is illegal in the country.

Deadly maritime accidents in the DRC are often caused by operators' failure to comply with safety regulations. An incident that killed at least 52 in Equateur province in October 2023 and another mishap that left 40 dead in late July this year have been attributed to overloading.