Boat accident in DR Congo kills 80: president

More than 80 people have been killed in a boat accident on the River Kwa in the Democratic Republic of Congo's Mai-Ndombe province, the country's presidency says.

Deadly boat accidents are common in the waters of DR Congo, where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.

The central African country has few tarred roads across its vast forested territory, and river travel is common.

"The President of the Republic is calling for an investigation into the true causes of this unfortunate incident, to prevent such a disaster from happening again in the future," the presidency said on X.

The incident was caused by night sailing, Rita Bola Dula, Mai-Ndombe province governor, told Reuters, adding that the investigations continued.

The boat was carrying 271 passengers to Kinshasa when it broke down due to an engine failure, according to 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, 70km near the closest city of Mushie, Maker said.

He said the boat hit the edge of the river bank and broke up.

DR 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.

with AP