Officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo now say at least 17 people have died after an overloaded ferry sank in Lake Tanganyika Friday.
Vice governor of southeast Katanga province Yav Tshibal tells reporters Wednesday that most of the victims were women and children. He says some passengers are missing, but more than 100 people survived.
DRC maritime inspectors say the accident happened late Friday on the eastern side of the lake, about five kilometers from the DRC port city of Kalemie. They say the boat struck a rock and sank.
The inspectors say the boat's manifest listed 58 passengers but they say such ferries are routinely overloaded with passengers and goods, so it is difficult to determine how may still be missing,
The ferry was sailing from Kalemie to Moba and the operator was attempting to go ashore for more passengers when the accident occurred.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
