Kinshasha, Oct 6:
At least 22 people were killed after two boats collided on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said.
The accident occurred near Ngombe in Lukolela territory in western Equateur province at around 2 am on Saturday. One of the passenger boats, which was carrying 163 people, sank following the collision.
Fifty-nine people were rescued while 22 bodies were recovered and buried, provincial Interior Minister Crispin Mputu said. Recovery operations were continuing as the sunken vessel remained under water at a depth of about 12 metres.
Authorities were investigating the circumstances that led to the collision. Boat accidents are a recurring concern in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where waterways are widely used for passenger and goods transport.