At least 30 dead and dozens missing after boat collision on Congo River

At least 30 dead and dozens missing after boat collision on Congo River The two boats crashed into each other on Sunday - Bookmark Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in At least 30 people have died and dozens remain missing after two vessels collided on the Congo River over the weekend, local authorities stated on Monday. The crash involving two motorised wooden boats occurred on Sunday evening near the Ngombe-Lukolela area in Equateur province, according to the provincial interior minister, Crispin Mputu. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Mputu indicated that travelling by river at night has historically led to many accidents. The minister told The Associated Press that the 30 people killed in the collision have already been buried. One vessel was travelling from Ubangi, in the north-west, to the capital of Kinshasa, whilst the second was en route from Kinshasa to Lukolela, close to where the collision took place, Mputu said, adding search efforts continue for survivors and victims. A member of the security forces who stated he witnessed the crash from the riverbank informed the AP that the boat "returning from Ubangi was overloaded with goods and collided with the one coming from Kinshasa." "Almost all the passengers on board were trapped underwater, and the boat itself also sank," he added, speaking on condition of anonymity, as he was not authorised to speak publicly without permission from his superiors. Fatal boating disasters are common in the central African country, where night-time travel and overcrowded vessels are frequently blamed. Poor safety standards and a lack of infrastructure in remote regions also contribute to hundreds killed in boat disasters in recent years. In July, a wooden vessel transporting students back from state exams sank in central Congo, killing at least 20 people. The craft was travelling through Kasai province when it sank while entering the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers.