At least 20 people died when a wooden boat carrying students back from state exams sank in central Congo's Kasai province, authorities said Friday. The vessel went down as it entered the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers.
Officials reported 80 survivors and 20 recovered bodies. However, one witness told The Associated Press that the boat was carrying more than 200 people.
Deadly boating accidents are frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, attributed to late-night travel, overcrowded vessels, poor safety standards, and a lack of infrastructure in remote areas. Hundreds of people have died in such disasters in recent years.