NEWS- Government officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have confirmed that at least 20 people were killed while trying to cross River Lukeni and another 46 were rescued, but hundreds remain missing.
Kutu District Administrator Jacques Nzena told journalists that a crowded motorized wooden vessel was heading to the Town of Nioki and was carrying goods and about 300 people overnight when it hit something in the water and sank.
Nzena explained that navigating at night is illegal in Democratic Republic of Congo and people constantly reminded that it is forbidden to sail at night, because it is very dangerous.
The Governor of North Kivu Province, Lebon Nkoso Kevan of Maï-Ndombe Province told journalists that a Provincial commission has been instituted to investigate the incident because night navigation and overcrowded boats transportation are a problem in the country and deadly accidents happen frequently on its waterways because there are few passable roads.
Additional Reporting By Associated Press.
