A boat capsizes in Congo and 25 are dead, many of them soccer players

Jean-Yves Kamale · The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 1:53 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

A vessel has capsized successful southwestern Congo and killed 25 people, galore of them shot players, authorities said Monday.

The players were returning from a lucifer successful Mushie metropolis successful Mai-Ndombe state connected Sunday nighttime erstwhile the vas capsized connected the Kwa River, said Alexis Mputu, the provincial spokesman.

Mputu suggested that the mediocre visibility astatine nighttime whitethorn person been a factor.

Deadly vessel accidents are communal successful the cardinal African country, wherever late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities person struggled to enforce maritime regulations.

Congo's rivers are a large means of transport for its much than 100 cardinal people, particularly successful distant areas wherever infrastructure is mediocre oregon nonexistent.

Hundreds person been killed successful vessel accidents successful caller years arsenic much radical wantonness the fewer disposable roads for woody vessels packed with passengers and their goods.