Rescuers have recovered at least 23 bodies after a boat that was reportedly carrying hundreds of people capsized on Thursday in Lake Kivu in eastern DR Congo, local authorities said.
The vessel, which had come from the town of Minova in the South Kivu province, sank mid-morning on Thursday just 100 metres (109 yards) away from its destination at the shore of Goma, the capital of neighbouring North Kivu.
More and more people are opting to cross the northern tip of Lake Kivu by boat to reach Goma, often in overcrowded vessels, to avoid overland travel in an area prone to fighting between Congolese government forces and the rebel movement M23.
"According to a provisional tally, there are 23 deaths and 58 survivors, who were taken care of in the health structures of the city of Goma," Espoir Sangoa Bantea, spokesperson for the military governor of North Kivu, told AFP.
'Very complicated'
A security source at the port reported 28 deaths.
"The situation is very complicated and it is still difficult to give all the details," the source said, adding that authorities are still trying to determine the total number of passengers on the boat.
Two survivors said that the boat has several hundred people on board, in addition to merchandise.
"A lot of people died, we don't know exactly how many because there were more than 500 of us on the boat," Busime Ruboneka, in her thirties, told AFP.
Many missing
Another survivor said there were "more than 200" passengers on board.
"The boat started to tilt and suddenly we were all in the water," survivor Theo Basimane said.
His wife and their two-month-old baby, as well as three other family members who were travelling with him, are still missing.
"I feel like I'm the only survivor," Basimane added.
Search and rescue
Civil defence, soldiers, and fishermen, plucked people from the water until late afternoon.
"So far, we have recovered bodies and others are still in the water," Chance Bassa, one of the fishermen who participated in the search, told AFP.
Soldiers at the port could be seen counting bodies of men and women drenched in water, before being transported to the morgue.
Survivors were taken to hospital.
Shipwrecks
Two children were also rushed to hospital but died before they could be treated, a medical source said.
It is yet to be established what caused the boat to sink.
Deadly shipwrecks on lakes and rivers are common occurrences in the central African country, where roads are in poor condition and a systematic lack of passenger lists often complicates rescue operations.
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