Kinshasa [DR Congo], October 4: At least 78 people died when an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday, a local governor said, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
A search and rescue operation was underway hours later as many remained unaccounted for from the vessel, believed to have had 278 people on board.
The boat set off from the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was en route to Goma, in North Kivu province.
The boat sank while trying to dock just meters (yards) away from the port of Kituku, according to witnesses who said they saw rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water.
Source: Emirates News Agency
