29 dead in Congo river boat accident

The death toll from a river boat accident in western Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to at least 29 with at least 128 survivors identified and an unknown number still missing, local authorities say.

Rescue efforts have been under way for days after the boat carrying between 250 and 300 passengers overturned on Sunday night when it hit tree trunks underwater in a river in Kutu territory.

"Overloading and navigating at night in contravention of the rules are seen as the causes of this tragedy," Kutu administrator Jacques Nzeza told Reuters by phone.

He said the 29 known fatalities included 15 women and one child.

The head of a local civil society group, Fidele Lizoringo, said fishermen had seen a further four bodies floating in the river but had not been able to recover them.

Lizoringo said 152 survivors had been registered.

It is unclear how many people are still missing since the exact number of people on board was not known. Meanwhile some of the survivors left immediately after the accident before they could be counted, Nzeza said.

River travel and deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, which has few paved roads across its vast, forested territory and vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.