80 boat passengers missing, feared dead after overloaded canoe capsizes on Congo river

80 feared dead after boat capsizes in Congo river

KINSHASA, Congo — A Red Cross official says 80 people are missing and feared dead after an overloaded canoe capsized on a river in eastern Congo.

Disaster management official Jean-Claude Anyasi says 45 people have been rescued from the Congo River near the city of Kindu, the capital of Congo’s eastern Maniema province.

He said there were 125 people aboard Wednesday evening and that rescue efforts are ongoing.

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.

The boats are often in poor repair and filled beyond capacity, and the industry is not well-regulated.