Congo ferry sinking death toll reaches 45

The death toll from a recent incident wherein a passenger ferry capsized and sank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has now climbed to 45, local authorities confirmed.

A total of 30 fatalities were initially recorded in the immediate aftermath of the sinking, which occurred in Lake Mai-Ndombe in the western part of the country on Saturday, May 25.

The current death toll also includes 11 children.

Only 183 survivors have so far been accounted for out of more than 350 people that the vessel had on board at the time of the incident.

Authorities believe the vessel’s obsolescence and the fact that it was overcrowded contributed to its loss.

Search and recovery efforts are still ongoing.

The incident is the third fatal ferry sinking to occur in the country over the last five years.


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