Voice of America
16 Sep 2019, 16:05 GMT+10
KINSHASA - Thirty-six people are missing after a boat sank in the Congo river on the outskirts of Kinshasa, DR Congo police said on Sunday.
The vessel, which was traveling to the capital, went down overnight in Maluku commune, about 100 kilometers from the center of the city.
Seventy-six people survived, police wrote on Twitter.
"The cause of the accident is not yet known," police spokesperson Colonel Pierrot-Rombaut Mwanamputu told AFP.
Lake and river transport is widely used in Democratic Republic of Congo as the highway system is poor, but accidents are common, often caused by overloading and the unsafe state of vessels.
The boat involved was called a "baleiniere" or "whaler" -- a commonly-used flat-bottomed vessel between 15 to 30 meters (50 to 100 feet) long by two to six meters wide.
In the vast majority of accidents, passengers are not equipped with life jackets and many cannot swim.
Get a daily dose of Kenya Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Kenya Star.
More InformationNIAMEY, Niger - At least 71 soldiers were killed and twelve others sustained injuries in a deadly terror attack that ...
ADDIS ABABA - Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Friday that Ethiopia will receive $3 billion from the World Bank ...
Editor's note: We want you to know what's happening, and why and how it could impact your life, family or ...
Washington [US], Dec 14 (ANI): The United States on Friday congratulated Algeria on the conclusion of the presidential election and ...
Cape Town - On Friday evening adjacent to the ongoing Cape Town Sevens, Cricket South Africa (CSA) launched their second ...
South Sudan's government has allocated $40m to speed up the integration of its soldiers with armed rebel fighters in order ...
BAGHDAD, Iraq - As protests in Iraq enter their third month, the numbers of arrests, abductions, and killings of protesters ...
WASHINGTON, DC - An executive order issued by President Donald Trump interpreting members of the Jewish religion as part of ...
LONDON, UK - With Britons heading to the polls on Thursday to vote in their third general election in under ...
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has warned Iran of a 'decisive' response if U.S. interests are harmed in Iraq following ...
London - Jurgen Klopp said on Friday he signed a contract extension keeping him at Liverpool until 2024 to project ...
South Sudan's government has allocated $40m to speed up the integration of its soldiers with armed rebel fighters in order ...