More than 80 people have died in a boat accident on the River Kwa in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mai-Ndombe province, the presidency announced on Wednesday.
Deadly boat accidents are frequent in Congo, where vessels often exceed their capacity. With few paved roads across its vast, forested terrain, river travel is common in the central African country.
“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 stated on X.
According to Mai-Ndombe province governor Rita Bola Dula, the incident was caused by night sailing, and investigations are ongoing.
