At least 27 Dead in Whaling Shipwreck

At least 27 people were killed and 54 others were missing in the night of Thursday to Friday after a whaling ship wrecked on the Kasai River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), a local official told Xinhua on Sunday.

News ID: 75018

Date: 21 July 2017 - 13:20

According to MANA, "I confirm that we have 27 dead bodies. The sinking occurred in front of Idiofa," said Jacques Mbila, the administrator of the territory.

Overloading and intoxication of the crew were the causes of the sinking, Mbila said.

According to the administrator, the majority of the victims are pupils who were on holiday.

The river Kasai is used for river transport from the Congo River to Djokupunda. Overloading is the most important reason for frequent shipwrecks on rivers in DR Congo.