At least 9 dead as DRC boat sinks
2012-12-24 08:02
Kinshasa - At least nine people died and many more could be
missing after a boat sank in the Congo River not far from Kinshasa, the capital
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said Sunday.
The accident took place late on Friday in the Maluku area of
the Congolese capital, Maluku mayor Papy Epiana said.
"We've collected nine bodies and 197 survivors,"
he said.
But he did not know how many people were missing and
investigators had not yet found a passenger manifest.
Radio Okapi, a local, UN-backed radio station said those on
the boat had estimated that almost 300 people had been on board, as well as
several tons of cargo.
According to initial findings, the accident was due to human
error on the part of the captain, Transport Minister Justin Kalumba told AFP.
A better estimate of how many people were on board should
come within a day or two, he added.
Shipwrecks occur frequently in the DRC. They are usually caused
by overloading or human error and exacerbated by a lack of safety equipment.
