KINSHASA (Reuters) - At least 14 people are dead and another 34 missing after their boat sank in an isolated stretch of river in southern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said Monday.
Investigators believe the boat, which was transporting cargo and 144 passengers, hit an underwater object on the Lualaba river in the southern province of Katanga early Sunday.
"Ninety-five people have been found alive. At least 14 people were killed, and another 34 have not been found yet," Dikanga Kazadi, Katanga's provincial interior minister, told Reuters by telephone.
Despite its vast mineral wealth, roads are almost non-existent outside Congo's main towns. Travel is often limited to airplanes and the boats that ply its huge network of rivers.
Accidents are frequent due to over-loading, lack of maintenance, and lax enforcement of safety standards.
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