More than 80 killed in boat accident in Democratic Republic of Congo

More than 80 people have died after a boat they were on sank in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), President Felix Tshisekedi announced.

The accident occurred on Wednesday on the Kwa River, about 70 kilometers from the town of Musiye in Mai Ndombe province.

"The President of the Republic calls for an investigation into the true causes of this unfortunate incident to prevent such disasters from being repeated in the future," said a presidential statement published on X.

Tshisekedi "expresses his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims," ​​the statement added. He instructed authorities to take action and provide support to those affected. Mai Ndombe district governor Rita Bola Dula told Reuters the incident was caused by nighttime navigation, adding that an investigation was underway.

Fatal boat accidents are not uncommon in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where vessels are often loaded far beyond their carrying capacity. The central African country has few paved roads across vast forested areas and river crossings are common.