60 die in Congo river passenger barge crash

At least 60 people died when a passenger barge carrying more than 700 people became shipwrecked on the Congo river at night, Democratic Republic of Congo’s Humanitarian Affairs Minister said on Monday.

Some 300 survivors had been found near the scene of the accident in Mai-Ndombe province in the west of the country, but another 240 remained unaccounted for, Steve Mbikayi wrote on Twitter.

Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, which has few tarred roads across its vast, forested interior and where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.

For most people the Congo river and its tributaries are the only means of travelling long distances.

“We sympathize with the families of the victims and we demand sanctions against all those responsible for the transport sector,” Mbikayi said.

Edited by Olajumoke Adeleke