Bangui, April 21 (UNI) At least 58 people have died after the overcrowded boat carrying them to a funeral capsized in the Central African Republic (CAR), the head of civil protection, Thomas Djimasse, has said.
The incident occurred on the Mpoko River near the CAR’s capital Bangui on Friday. The boat, 20 meters (65 feet) long and three meters wide, was carrying over 300 people who were on their way to the funeral of a village chief, media reported, adding that the capsize could have been caused by an overload.
"We were able to extract 58 bodies ... We do not yet know the total number of people underwater," Djimasse told local station Radio Guira on Saturday.
The search operations continue, he added.
UNI/SPUTNIK AKS