KINSHASA, Nov 20 (NNN-XINHUA) — At least 64 people were missing after a boat capsized on Monday in the Sankuru River in Kasai Province in central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local media reported.
Citing local officials, the report said that the vessel departed the port of Bena Dibele in Sankuru Province on Nov. 13, bound for the capital, Kinshasa, more than 800 km away.
The boat capsized after encountering “whirlpools”, according to the report. It was carrying about 120 people, of whom only around 50 have been rescued so far, while the others remain missing. Search and rescue operations are underway.
Waterways remain a key mode of transport in the DRC, where boat accidents are common due to overloading and poor vessel conditions. — NNN-XINHUA
