Footballers dead as 25 fatalities confirmed after boat capsized in Congo river
Several football players have died after a boat capsized in a river, according to local media reports.
Players returning from a match in Mushie City, Congo, were travelling back home along the River Kwa when the boat they were in capsized.
Boat accidents are reportedly common in the region, often caused by overcrowding on the vessels or travelling at night. But the rivers are also the main transport routes in Congo, with more than 100m people using them every year.
In this case, it’s believed that 25 people were killed, although around 30 people have also survived. The people who died have not yet been named, but it’s believed that most of the fatalities are from the football team.
Provincial spokesman Alexis Mputu said: “The provisional toll is 25 dead and 30 survivors. The primary cause was night navigation.”
Hundreds of people have been killed in Congo’s waterways, with increasingly more people abandoning the roads to travel in overcrowded wooden vessels. The boats are often filled to the rafters with both passengers and cargo, making it more likely that it will capsize.