Boat with more than 270 passengers capsizes in Congo; there are more than 80 dead

KINSASA, Democratic Republic of the Congo (AP) — A boat with more than 270 people on board capsized in a river near Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, leaving more than 80 dead, President Félix Tshisekedi said Wednesday.

It is the latest deadly maritime incident in the central African country where overloading of vessels is often to blame, including an incident in February in which dozens of people lost their lives after an overloaded ship sank.

President Tshisekedi’s statement noted that a local boat capsized on Monday night in Maï-Ndombe province, along the Kwa River.

The ship with 271 passengers on board was headed to Kinshasa when it broke down due to engine failure, according to Radio Okapi, which reported Ren Maker, water commissioner of the Mushi district, where the incident occurred.

Eighty-six of the passengers died while 185 managed to swim to shore, about 70 kilometers from the nearest town of Mushie, according to Maker.

The report added that the boat hit the edge of the shore and broke apart.

Congolese officials have often warned against overloading vessels and vowed to punish those who violate shipping safety measures. However, in the remote areas where most passengers come from, many cannot afford public transportation for the few roads available.