Two vessels crashed into one another as they navigated the Congo River, according to provincial officials. Crispin Mputu, interior minister of Equateur province, told the state-owned Agence Congolaise Presse that a metal vessel named Dieu se cache, traveling from the capital Kinshasa, collided with a wooden vessel called HB Super Victoire, which was coming from Businga.
"Almost all the passengers on board were trapped underwater, and the boat itself also sank," Mputu said. He confirmed that the bodies of the drowned have already been buried.
The cause of the collision remains unclear. Mputu noted that many accidents occur when boats travel at night. A security officer who witnessed the incident told the Associated Press that the boat from Kinshasa was overloaded with goods.
Boating tragedies are common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where late-night travel and overcrowded vessels are frequently blamed. Poor safety standards and a lack of infrastructure in remote parts of the country contribute to disasters that have killed hundreds in recent years.
In July, a wooden boat transporting students returning from state exams sank in the country's Kasai province, killing at least 20 people.