150 people missing after boat sinks in lake in Democratic Republic of Congo
The motorised boat is believed to have had many traders on board who regularly make the trip to the commercial hub of Goma.
Wednesday 17 April 2019 12:36, UK
Around 150 people are missing after a boat sank in an eastern lake in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The country's president Felix Tshisekedi said he was "saddened" by the incident on Lake Kivu.
He expressed his condolences to the families of those affected and said those responsible would be "punished".
The motorised boat is believed to have had many traders on board who regularly make the trip to the commercial hub of Goma.
Local officials said 35 people were saved and only four bodies had been recovered since the boat sank on Monday evening.
Delphin Birimbi, a civil society leader in South Kivu province, said the boat had departed from neighbouring North Kivu province and sank near Kalehe territory.
He told Radio Okapi authorities need to step up surveillance of overloaded boats, which frequently contribute to fatal accidents.
Deadly boat accidents are common in DR Congo, which has few roads outside of major towns and where boats are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.