Kinshasa, February 13: Dozens of people are dead and several are missing after two boats collided on the Congo River in western Congo, a local official said on Tuesday. The boats loaded with people and goods crashed Monday east of Congo's capital of Kinshasa, official Eliezer Ntambwe said. Ntambwe said it wasn't clear what caused the crash. Another official confirmed the accident but didn't give a death toll.

Horrified residents watched from the riverbank. A video seen by The Associated Press shows people flailing in the water while small boats move towards them. Italy Boat Tragedy: 2-Year-Old Girl Dies, Eight People Missing After Migrant Boat Capsized Off Lampedusa.

It was not immediately clear how many people were rescued. Assam Boat Accident: One Dead As Two Boats Collide In Brahmaputra Near Jorhat, Many Missing.

Deadly boating accidents occur frequently in Congo as crews often overload small wooden vessels. Rivers are key to transport in the vast central African country with some of the world's least developed road infrastructure. Most river traffic is run by small, informal operators, and officials have warned that adherence to maritime regulations is poor. In January, most of the 50 passengers aboard a wooden boat that capsized on a lake in eastern Congo were presumed dead.

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