Over 80 dead in latest Congo boat accident

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A boat carrying more than 270 passengers has 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.

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

The flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is seen in Beijing, May 26, 2023. (Photo by Wang Xin/VCG)

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.

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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.