26 killed after boat collision in western Congo

At least 26 people were killed when two boats collided on a river in the Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said Tuesday.

The accident occurred in the Congo River in Lukolela territory in western Equateur province on Saturday night, according to Crispin Mputu, the provincial interior minister.

“About 82 people are missing, while nearly 60 were rescued,” Mputu told reporters in the provincial capital Mbandaka.

The search to rescue the missing people is ongoing.

The exact circumstances of the accident were yet to be established.

The Congo River serves as a means of travel for many communities in Congo.