At least 20 drown as boat carrying students after exams sinks in DR Congo

At least 20 people have died after a wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams sank in the central Democratic Republic of Congo. The vessel went down on Friday in Kasai province as it entered the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers, according to witnesses.

Authorities confirmed the death toll, with Francois Kabula, administrator of Ilebo territory, stating there were 80 survivors and 20 bodies recovered. However, witness Tshikudi Jean told the AP news agency that the boat was carrying more than 200 passengers, suggesting the actual number of fatalities could be higher.

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There were 80 survivors and 20 bodies.

Deadly boat accidents are a recurring tragedy in the central African nation. Overcrowded vessels, often traveling at night, combined with poor safety standards and inadequate infrastructure in remote areas, contribute to hundreds of deaths annually. Recent incidents include two separate boat accidents in northwestern DRC that killed at least 193 people.

Francois Malepo, president of the Ilebo civil society organization, criticized the shipowners, stating, "The shipowners in the DRC are only after money and don’t care about human lives."

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The shipowners in the DRC are only after money and don’t care about human lives.