At least 20 people have drowned when a boat carrying exam students sank in DR Congo Human Rights Issues

Witnesses said that the boat may have been carrying more than 200 people.

A wooden boat carrying students returning from government exams has sunk in the central Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 20 people, officials said.

The vessel sank while entering the banks of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers in Kasai region on Friday, according to witnesses.

Fatal boating accidents have become common in the central African country, where overnight trips and overcrowding are often blamed. Poor security standards and a lack of infrastructure in rural areas have contributed to hundreds of deaths in recent years.

“There were 80 people who survived and 20 bodies,” said Francois Kabula, the district manager of Ilebo in Kasai province.

However, Tshikudi Jean, who saw the sinking, told the AP news agency that the boat was carrying more than 200 people.

“Those who run the ships in the DRC are only interested in money and do not care about the lives of the people,” said Francois Malepo, the president of the Ilebo NGO.