At least 5 dead after a boat capsizes in lake in eastern Congo, local boat captain says

At least 5 dead after boat capsizes in Congo lake

KINSHASA, Congo — A boat captain says at least five people have died after a passenger boat capsized on a lake in eastern Congo.

Mirindi Lufongola, who was driving a commercial boat on Lake Kivu, says he rescued 29 passengers after the other boat capsized Tuesday. He says nearly a hundred passengers were aboard the boat traveling from Idjwi island to the city of Goma.

Lufongola said the 29 passengers were hanging on to empty jerrycans and bags full of embers. The survivors told him the boat capsized because of a strong wave.

Congo is a vast country of jungles and huge rivers in Central Africa with little more than 300 miles (480 kilometers) of paved road. Many people prefer to take boats even if they do not know how to swim.