Boat Capsizes on Congo River, Leaving Over 80 Dead

A boat carrying more than 270 passengers capsized on a river near Congo's capital of Kinshasa, leaving more than 80 dead, President Félix Tshisekedi said Wednesday. It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country where overloading is often blamed.

Kinshasa, Congo (AP) – A boat carrying more than 270 passengers capsized on a river near Congo's capital of Kinshasa, leaving more than 80 dead, President Félix Tshisekedi said Wednesday.

It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country where overloading is often blamed, including in February when dozens lost their lives after an overloaded boat sank.

A statement quoting Tshisekedi said the locally made boat capsized late Monday in Maï-Ndombe province along the Kwa River.

The boat was carrying 271 passengers to Kinshasa when it broke down due to an engine failure, according to the U.N.-backed Radio Okapi, citing Ren Maker, the water commissioner in the Mushi district where the accident happened.

Eighty-six of the passengers died while 185 managed to swim ashore, some 43 miles near the closest city of Mushie, Maker said.

He said the boat hit the edge of the river bank and broke up.

Congolese officials have often warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. But in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.

In February, at least 31 people drowned when an overloaded wooden boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo.

In 2021, at least 56 people died after a boat carrying more than 700 passengers capsized on the Congo River in Mai-Ndombe province.

Overloading is common in Congo, where many people rely on boats for transportation because of the lack of adequate roads.

President Tshisekedi expressed condolences to the victims' families and called for an investigation into the accident.

The government has ordered the arrest of the boat owner and the captain, who reportedly fled the scene.

Rescue workers are still searching for missing passengers, but hopes of finding survivors are fading.

The accident has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety regulations on water transportation in Congo.