At least 24 people lost their lives after an overloaded boat capsized on a river in Congo’s Mai-Ndombe province, with the death toll expected to rise as many passengers remain missing, a local official reported on Wednesday. The boat, carrying between 250 and 300 passengers, overturned on Sunday night after striking underwater tree trunks, according to Kutu territory administrator Jacques Nzenza.
Overloading was cited as the primary cause of the accident, as the imbalance led panicked passengers to crowd one side, causing the boat to tip over.
Fidele Lizoringo, a civil society leader in the area, reported that 43 people survived, but the tragedy sparked anger among villagers, who lynched the boat manager in response to the deaths of their relatives. Deadly boat accidents are common in the central African nation, where limited paved roads and overloaded vessels make river travel particularly perilous.
