180 missing after boat capsizes in Congo River

More than 180 are missing after a boat capsized in the Congo River on Thursday. Local officials said the incident happened in Equateur Province, northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo.  

According to the provisional death toll given by River Commissioner of Mbandaka Compétent Mboyo, only three bodies have been recovered from the boat that had 200 people on board.

The survivors said that the overloaded boat had no life-saving equipment despite the ban on navigation of the vessels without lifesavers in the DRC.  

The accident occurred about 100 km upstream from Mbandaka.

Several survivors were rescued by eco-guards from the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation   at the Ipombo station.

Local officials say arrangements are being made to find more bodies and possible survivors.