2 boats collide on Congo River, killing at least 30

Two boats collided over the weekend on the Congo River, killing at least 30 people and leaving dozens missing, local authorities in Congo said Monday.

Equateur Provincial Interior Minister Crispin Mputu said the 30 victims have already been buried while search efforts continue for more victims and survivors. One vessel was traveling from Ubangi in the northwest to the capital Kinshasa, and the other from Kinshasa to nearby Lukolela. Mputu said that nighttime navigation leads to many fatal accidents.

An anonymous security witness on the riverbank reported that the boat returning from Ubangi was overloaded with goods before colliding with the vessel from Kinshasa, trapping almost all passengers underwater as it sank.

Deadly boating disasters are common in the central African country due to late-night travel, overcrowded vessels, poor safety standards, and lacking remote infrastructure, killing hundreds in recent years. In July, a wooden boat carrying students back from state exams sank in Kasai province at the Sankuru-Kasai river confluence, killing at least 20. -UNB