At least 21 feared drowned after ‘taxi canoe’ capsizes in Congolese lake

At least 21 people from a church choral group were feared drowned after a boat carrying them capsized on Lake Edward in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo early on Friday, a regional member of parliament and a local chief said.

The canoe with 25 on board left Kyavinyonge village on the banks of the lake for Kisaka but broke down and capsized, the authorities said.

“It is a taxi canoe. There were 25 people,” Mumbere Matsozi Eugene, a chief in the area, said by telephone. “Out of the 25, two bodies have been recovered and two survivors. The other 21 people are feared dead. The bodies have not yet been found,” he told Reuters

Jean Paul Lumbululumbu, a regional member of parliament, confirmed the toll.

US ceasefire plan welcomed by Hamas but mired by lack of confidence in Israel and Washington

---

Jordan Bardella: the far-right TikTok king gunning for France’s premiership

---

Janan Ganesh: Macron’s election call is an act of cool logic

---

‘I’m a girl from a council estate and I’ve had to prove my worth.’ Angela Rayner back in the driving seat for Labour

---

Deadly boat accidents are common in waters of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has few tarred roads across its vast, forested territory, and where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity. – Reuters

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022