Death toll in DR Congo boat accident put at 72

KIGALI, Rwanda

At least 72 people are confirmed to have died after a motorized boat capsized last week in a river in Equateur province in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), authorities said Thursday.

The boat was headed to the neighboring Republic of Congo when it sank at night on the Lulonga River on Jan. 17 near the town of Basankusu.

“The toll is 72 bodies were recovered and buried and 67 people are still missing while 148 people survived,” the provincial Minister for Humanitarian Actions, Luc-Didier Mbula, told journalists.

The boat was overloaded with people and goods, according to authorities.

Initial reports had indicated that approximately 145 people were missing after the accident.

The latest figures were released following an assessment commissioned by the provincial authorities, Mbula said, adding there were roughly 287 people on board.

More than 40 people died in October when a boat capsized downstream of Wendji-Secli locality about 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Mbandaka in Equateur.