“Overloaded Boat Capsizes on Lake Kivu in Congo, Dozens Presumed Dead”

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"Overloaded Boat Capsizes on Lake Kivu in Congo, Dozens Presumed Dead"

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In Kinshasa, Congo, a local official has stated that the majority of the 50 passengers aboard a wooden boat that capsized on a lake in eastern Congo are presumed dead.

The boat, which was crossing Lake Kivu and was also carrying 20 bags of cement, likely sank on Sunday due to overloading, according to Mustafa Mamboleo, an official with South Kivu province.

Mamboleo reported that 10 people survived, three bodies had been found, and the search was ongoing for about 37 people.

Deadly boating accidents are common in Congo, where crews often overload small wooden vessels. In January, 22 people died on Lake Maî-Ndombe, and last April, six were killed and 64 went missing on Lake Kivu.

Daniel Lwaboshi, director of Congo’s Public Riverways Authority, stated on state television on Monday that maritime regulations are often not adhered to, and another primary cause of such accidents is overloading.