Severe weather and overcrowding are believed to be the reasons the boat sank. Deadly boat accidents have become common in the waters near the African country.

A boat sinking in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northwestern Equateur Province left at least 30 people dead, local media reported on Thursday.

Dozens are missing and a rescue operation is underway.

Territorial administrator Justin Mputu told local media that the boat was carrying goods and people on Lake Tumba in Bikoro territory.

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Congo's rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people.

In remote areas where infrastructure is poor or nonexistent, traveling by boat across lakes is a regular occurrence. But deadly boat accidents have become common, often due to poor vessel maintenance, overloading of the vessels and extreme weather.

Bikoro Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba told Reuters that rescue efforts were ongoing, but he added that responders faced challenges due to a lack of essential equipment, including life jackets and boats.

"We're forced to requisition private boats for this type of operation, but sometimes we don't even have enough fuel to carry out our work properly," Bongolomba said

Overcrowding reported

The causes of the boat sinking are not clear, but signs point to weather being a factor, as well as the vessel being overloaded.

Mputu said the capsizing was believed to have been caused by turbulent waters due to heavy rain.

The Provincial Coordination of the Panel of Civil Society Experts of Equateur said in a statement that two boats had departed Bikoro Port on the eastern shores of the lake on Wednesday afternoon despite "clear overloading and unstable weather conditions."

"Witnesses reported that the overcrowding was so severe that passengers were being turned away from the canoes," said Akula Dieu, a member of the group.

Edited by John Silk