At least 22 dead after two boats collide on Congo River in DR Congo

At least 22 people were killed after two boats collided on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with rescue teams continuing to search for survivors and recover bodies.According to a Reuters report, the collision took place near Ngombe in Lukolela territory in western Equateur province at around 2am local time on Saturday, provincial interior minister Crispin Mputu said. One of the vessels, a passenger boat, sank following the collision.The passenger vessel was carrying 163 people, according to a security source cited by Reuters. So far, 59 passengers have been rescued, while 22 bodies have been recovered and buried, Mputu said. The death toll could rise as some victims may have been buried elsewhere.The second vessel was a commercial boat travelling between Kinshasa and Mbandaka. The passenger boat was travelling from Mongala province towards Kinshasa when the collision occurred.The sunken passenger vessel remains underwater at a depth of around 12 metres, while recovery operations were continuing on Monday evening, Mputu said.Boat accidents are frequent in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers serve as a major means of transport for communities and traders. Overcrowding, poor vessel maintenance and weak safety measures have contributed to repeated deadly accidents on the country's waterways.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.