Boat capsizes in Congo: 25 dead including football players

Kinshasa: A boat overturned in southwestern Congo, claiming the lives of 25 people, including several football players, officials reported on Monday. The tragedy occurred on Sunday night as the players were returning from a match in Mushie city, Maï-Ndombe province. The vessel capsized on the Kwa River, said provincial spokesperson Alexis Mputu.

Mputu indicated that poor nighttime visibility may have contributed to the incident. At least 30 individuals survived, according to Renacle Kwatiba, the local administrator of Mushie territory.

Fatal boat accidents are frequent in the central African nation, often due to overcrowding and unsafe nighttime travel. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations effectively.

Congo's rivers are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people, especially in remote areas where infrastructure is poor or nonexistent.

Hundreds have been killed in boat accidents in recent years as more people abandon the few available roads for wooden vessels packed with passengers and their goods.

AP