Published 20.48
At least 20 people have died since a boat with schoolchildren on board sank in central Congo-Kinshasa.
The wooden boat would transport students returning home from state exams. According to local authorities, around 100 people were on board when the boat sank in an area where the Sankuru and Kasai rivers join.
– There were 80 survivors and 20 dead, says Francois Kabula, administrative district manager in the Kasai province where the accident occurred.
However, an eyewitness states that the number of passengers was rather more like 200 people.
Boat accidents are common in Central Africa. The reason is often overloading, travel during the dark hours of the day and a lack of safety procedures and infrastructure.
