At least 30 killed as two wooden boats collide on Congo River

Two motorized wooden boats slammed into each other on the Congo River near the Ngombe-Lukolela area of Equateur province on Sunday night, killing at least 30 people and leaving dozens unaccounted for. One boat was en route from Ubangi in the northwest to Kinshasa, while the other was returning from Kinshasa toward Lukolela, according to provincial interior minister Crispin Mputu. A security-force witness, who asked to remain anonymous, said the Ubangi-bound vessel was overloaded with goods when it struck the Kinshasa-bound boat, causing both vessels to sink and trapping passengers underwater.

Mputu noted that nighttime navigation has historically contributed to many such tragedies in the region. The 30 deceased have already been buried, and rescue teams are still searching for more victims and survivors. This incident adds to a pattern of deadly river accidents in the Central African country, where poor safety standards and inadequate infrastructure exacerbate the risk.