Over 80 dead in boat accident in western Congo

Beni, Congo: More than 80 people have died in a boat accident on the Kwa River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said on Wednesday.

The accident involved two boats. One of them was on its way to the capital Kinshasa when it suffered an engine failure. It was rammed by a second boat, causing the accident, said Ren Maker, an official with Congo’s river road authority.

The incident, which occurred late Monday, was caused by night sailing, said Rita Bola Dula, governor of Mai-Ndombe province Reuters.

“We are in the process of recovering the survivors and other bodies,” Dula said.

Fatal boating accidents are common in Congo’s waters, as vessels are often loaded far beyond their capacity. The central African country has few paved roads in its vast, forested territory, and river travel is common.

The presidency, which put the provisional death toll at over 80, called for an investigation to prevent such an accident from happening again.