At least 26 killed in boat collision on Congo River

At least 26 people were killed when two boats collided on the Congo River in western Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday night, provincial Interior Minister Crispin Mputu said Tuesday.

The accident happened in Lukolela territory in Equateur province, according to Mputu.

“About 82 people are missing, while nearly 60 were rescued,” he told reporters in the provincial capital, Mbandaka.

Search and rescue efforts are continuing. The exact circumstances of the collision have not yet been established.

The Congo River is an important means of travel for many communities in the country.