[ad_۱]
Witnesses say the boat may have been carrying more than ۲۰۰ passengers.
Published On ۴ Jul ۲۰۲۶
A wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams has sunk in central Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least ۲۰ people, authorities said.
The vessel sank as it entered the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers in Kasai province on Friday, according to witnesses.
Recommended Stories
list of ۳ itemsend of list
Deadly boat disasters are common in the central African country, where night-time travel and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Poor safety standards and a lack of infrastructure in remote areas have contributed to hundreds of deaths in recent years.
“There were ۸۰ survivors and ۲۰ bodies,” said Francois Kabula, administrator of Ilebo territory in Kasai province.
However, Tshikudi Jean, who witnessed the sinking, told the AP news agency that the boat was carrying more than ۲۰۰ people.
“The shipowners in the DRC are only after money and don’t care about human lives,” said Francois Malepo, president of the Ilebo civil society organisation.
