At least 20 drown as boat carrying students after exams sinks in DR Congo

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftTrendingUS-Israel war on IranWorld Cup 2026Tracking Israel's ceasefire violationsDonald Trumpcaret-rightNews|Human RightsAt least 20 drown as boat carrying students after exams sinks in DR CongoWitnesses say the boat may have been carrying more than 200 passengers. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoA ferry leaves Goma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024, for Bukavu on lake Kivu. [File: Justin Kabumba/AP Photo]By Associated Press and APPublished On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026A wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams has sunk in central Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 20 people, authorities said. The vessel sank as it entered the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers in Kasai province on Friday, according to witnesses. Deadly boat disasters are common in the central African country, where night-time travel and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Poor safety standards and a lack of infrastructure in remote areas have contributed to hundreds of deaths in recent years. “There were 80 survivors and 20 bodies,” said Francois Kabula, administrator of Ilebo territory in Kasai province. However, Tshikudi Jean, who witnessed the sinking, told the AP news agency that the boat was carrying more than 200 people. “The shipowners in the DRC are only after money and don’t care about human lives,” said Francois Malepo, president of the Ilebo civil society organisation. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: