Over 100 dead after boat catches fire in Congo river

River transport is a lifeline in Congo's vast rainforest regions, where old, wooden vessels are the main form of transport between villages, but accidents are frequent due to overloading, poor maintenance and the use of riverboats at night.

The accident comes days after at least 86 people died in a separate shipwreck on Wednesday night at the confluence of the Nsolo and Great Maringa rivers in Basankusu territory, northeast of Malange, after a river boat sank on Wednesday, Congo, state media reported Thursday adding that local residents pulled eight survivors from the water.