Witnesses told local media on Monday that more than 106 were missing when a boat carrying 300 passengers and merchandise capsized in Democratic Republic of Congo.
The overloaded vessel sank early Monday on the Kansai River in the Kasai-Occidental province, which is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) away from Tshikapa town, was confirmed by Information Minister Lambert Mende, RTT News said.
"We do not have the exact number of people on board. 30 have been rescued and are safe but a good many more are missing," Mende told Reuters.
Poor boat maintenance and the practice of passenger overloading make such accidents common occurrences in the country.
The majority of the Congolese ride the vessels to travel within the country due to its vast jungles, lakes and rivers.
Another boat sank last year on the same river that killed 200—a tributary of the Congo River.
At least 40 passengers were killed last week when a vessel overturned in the eastern part of the country in Lake Kivu.
Formerly known as Zaire, Congo is found in Central Africa. It is surrounded by Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Sudan, Uganda and Zambia
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