DRC: 6 dead, dozens missing in shipwreck on Lake Kivu

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced that it will be launching a new initiative to improve the quality of life of its people, according to a new report by the World Bank.

The boat, known as a "boat", had left from Mugote, on the south-eastern coast of Idjwi island, in South Kivu province. Loaded with traders and their goods, it was heading for Goma, the capital of the neighbouring province of North Kivu.

A strong wind caused it to capsize about 20 km from its point of departure, said an officer at the Mugote lake police station.

According to another administrative source, the pirogue was carrying about 150 passengers, there are 80 survivors and the bodies of three women and three children have been recovered. The search is continuing for other bodies.

In the DRC, which has very few passable roads, travel is often on the lakes and the Congo River and its tributaries, where shipwrecks are common.