At least 24 people have died after an overloaded boat capsized on a river in Congo's Mai-Ndombe province.

According to official reports, the death toll is expected to rise as many passengers remain missing.

According to Jacques Nzenza, the administrator of the Kutu territory, the boat, carrying 250 to 300 passengers, overturned Sunday night after striking submerged tree trunks.

PHOTO | COURTESY Rescue workers trying to save people 

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Overloading was identified as the primary cause, leading to an imbalance that caused the vessel to tip when panicked passengers shifted weight to one side. Fidele Lizoringo, a local civil society leader, reported that 43 passengers survived.

However, in the aftermath, enraged villagers lynched the boat's manager, blaming him for the deaths of their relatives. Boat accidents are tragically common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where limited infrastructure forces reliance on overcrowded vessels for transportation across its vast, forested regions.

Safety concerns are frequently overlooked, contributing to these recurring tragedies.