Congo River Boat Collision Kills At Least 30, Dozens Missing As Search For Survivors Continues

At least 30 people have died and dozens remain missing after two motorised wooden boats collided on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, triggering a search operation for survivors and more victims.

The collision took place on Sunday near the Ngombe-Lukolela area in Equateur province, according to provincial Interior Minister Crispin Mputu. The boats were travelling in opposite directions when they crashed, although authorities have not yet established what caused the accident.

One of the vessels was travelling from Ubangi in northwestern DR Congo towards the capital, Kinshasa, while the other was heading from Kinshasa towards Lukolela, close to where the collision occurred. The impact led to a major loss of life, with dozens of passengers still unaccounted for.

Mputu told The Associated Press that the 30 people confirmed dead had already been buried. Search and rescue teams, meanwhile, were continuing efforts to locate people who may still be alive as well as recover additional victims from the river.

The accident occurred at night, according to local reports, making rescue efforts particularly difficult. Initial accounts from the area said one of the boats sank following the collision, while survivors were helped by people living along the river and other boat users. An investigation team was also expected to examine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

The Congo River is a crucial transportation route for communities across the Democratic Republic of Congo, where boats are widely used to move passengers and goods between remote areas. The latest tragedy has once again drawn attention to the risks faced by people travelling on the country's waterways, particularly when accidents occur in remote areas where rescue operations can be difficult.

With search operations still under way, authorities have warned that the death toll could rise as more information emerges and missing passengers are accounted for.