At least 25 people are dead including children after an overcrowded boat capsized in a river in central Congo.
The vessel, which was believed to have more than 100 people on board, overturned just metres after beginning its journey along the Fimi River from the town of Inongo, northeast of the capital of Kinshasa.
Local authorities fear the death toll could rise with dozens still missing as of Wednesday morning.
David Kalemba, Inongo’s river commissioner, said: “There was overloading at roof level and, as far as the lifeless human bodies are concerned, at least 25 have been recovered so far.”
The capsized boat was also loaded with goods, according to Alex Mbumba, a resident of the area. He said: “Among the dead are children, but it’s difficult to give an exact death toll at the moment as … the boat had a lot of passengers.”
The sinking was the fourth this year in the Mai-Ndombe province, a region surrounded by rivers and where many rely on river transportation.
Congolese officials have often warned against overcrowding and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. However, in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.
At least 78 people drowned in October when an overloaded boat sank in the country’s east, while 80 lost their lives in a similar accident near Kinshasa in June.
The latest incident prompted calls for the government to equip the province with flotation devices.
Mr Mbumba added: “The government must act to improve safety on the waters of our province (because) navigation conditions are dangerous.”
The capsizing of overloaded boats is also becoming increasingly frequent as more people are abandoning the few available roads for wooden vessels due to security reasons.
Roads are often caught up in the deadly clashes between Congolese security forces and rebels that sometimes block major access routes. Hundreds have already been killed or declared missing in such accidents so far this year.
