DRC: 20 dead and hundreds missing in boat accident

A boat accident on the Lukeni River in western Congo this weekend has left at least 20 people dead and hundreds missing, a local official said Tuesday.

It is the latest fatal boat accident in the central African country, where overloading is often the problem, notably in June when an overloaded boat sank near the capital and 80 passengers died.

The motorized wooden boat was carrying about 300 passengers and was sailing at night when it collided with a sunken barge, Kutu territory administrator Jacques Nzenza Mongie told a news conference.

At least 20 bodies were found during the search Tuesday, Mongie told The Associated Press. Another 46 people have been rescued and hundreds are still missing, he said.

Night navigation is illegal in Congo, and a provincial commission is currently at the site of the accident to determine who is responsible, Governor Lebon Nkoso Kevan of Mai-Ndombe province said Tuesday.

Congolese authorities have often warned against overloading and promised to punish those who violate maritime transport safety measures.