Hundreds of people are feared to have drowned after a convoy of boats sank in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday night.
Officially, there were 122 passengers on board, of whom 108 have been rescued, leaving 14 unaccounted for.
But local politician Didace Pembe has warned that hundreds more could still be missing and eyewitnesses have told the BBC there were far more than 122 people on board the boats.
Mr. Pembe has also called on the authorities to provide medical care for the survivors.
Travelling on the waterways is common in the province of Mai Ndombe, due to the poor state of the roads.
However, local boats seldom have passenger lists showing the correct number of people on board.
And safety measures - aiming to prevent overloading and limit night sailings - are not always enforced.
Latest Stories
-
Nations FC considering quitting Ghana football – Brands Manager hints
3 minutes -
Fitch Solutions revises end-2025 forecast of cedi-to-dollar rate at GH¢13; predicts 12.9% appreciation
4 minutes -
GOIL, Star Oil drop fuel prices as cedi gains trength
7 minutes -
Africa Health Collaborative-KNUST to launch new courses in home-based care and healthcare AI
23 minutes -
T-bills auction: Government fails to meet target; accepts all bids
26 minutes -
Today’s Front pages: Monday, June 2, 2025
48 minutes -
Hajia4Reall hints at new song release after discharge from US prison
51 minutes -
How fake views, bought likes, and stolen streams create artificial celebrities
1 hour -
Cantonments, set to welcome ARLO: A prime investment development by devtraco plus
2 hours -
Pelpuo leads Ghana’s delegation to 113th Session of International Labour Conference in Geneva
2 hours -
Mahama promises to reshape major roads in Bono Region under “Big Push” initiative
2 hours -
Labour Ministry unveils first batch of Labour Compliance Inspectors
2 hours -
Cedi to strengthen further this week – Reuters report
2 hours -
Zoomlion secures Lagos contract, signs waste management MoUs with Congo and Ethiopia
2 hours -
Ofori-Atta requests online engagement with OSP over reported health issues
2 hours