28 killed, 261 missing in DR Congo shipwreck

At least 28 people were killed and 261 others were missing after a boat sank on the Congo River late Friday in the province of Equateur, northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the provincial government said on Sunday.

In a video statement, Deputy Provincial Governor Taylor Nganzi, who inspected the scene of the accident, spoke of a "serious situation, and that responsibilities will be strictly established without any complacency toward the culprits."

According to the provincial authorities, the boat left the port of Mbandaka, the province's port city on the Congo River, late Friday for Bolomba, a territory located more than 300 km from Mbandaka.

The boat capsized due to overloading, witnesses told Xinhua.

The number of passengers on board remains unknown.

Shipwrecks are frequent across the DRC, especially on the Congo River, where overloading and poor condition of boats are the causes of most accidents.