At least 20 people feared dead after boat capsizes in northwestern DRC

At least 20 people have died, and several remain missing after a boat capsized in northwestern DR Congo, according to local residents.

The boat, which capsized on Lake Maï-Ndombe on Thursday, was carrying passengers to the capital, Kinshasa. They included a newly ordained Catholic deacon, according to a statement by the local Diocese on Friday.

Speaking to The Associated Press via telephone on Saturday, Emmanuel Bola, a resident of the nearby town of Inongo, said that the boat was travelling from the town of Kiri to Kinshasa when it capsized between the villages of Bobeni and Lobeke around 8 pm on Thursday night.

The Congolese government has not released an official death toll. Kevani Nkoso, the governor of Maï-Ndombe province, told the AP that “we are awaiting details from the teams deployed to the field to determine the number of people killed and the number of survivors.”

Other incidents

Earlier this month a capsizing incident left 64 people missing.

In September, at least 193 people died in northwestern DR Congo in two separate boat tragedies, which state media attributed to “improper loading and night navigation.”