20 passengers killed and hundreds missing in Congo boat accident

KINSHASA, Congo — A boat accident on the Lukeni river in western Congo over the weekend left at least 20 people dead and hundreds missing, a local official said Tuesday.

It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country, where overloading is often to blame, including i n June when an overloaded boat sank near the capital and 80 passengers lost their lives.

In the latest accident, the motorized wooden boat was carrying about 300 passengers and navigating by night when it crashed into a sunken barge, Kutu territory administrator Jacques Nzenza Mongie said during a news conference.

At least 20 corpses were found during searches Tuesday, Mongie told The Associated Press. An additional 46 people were rescued and hundreds were still missing, he said.

Navigating by night is illegal in Congo, and a provincial commission is currently at the site of the accident to determine who was responsible, Gov. Lebon Nkoso Kevan of Maï-Ndombe province said Tuesday.

Congolese officials have often warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation.