Congo boat catches fire, capsizes; 200 feared dead

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September 5, 2010

Anonymous Associated Press Sun Sep 05, 2010, 04:37 PM EDT

KINSHASA, Congo — A survivor of a boat capsize in central Congo says at least 200 people are feared dead after the engine caught fire and led the vessel to overturn.

Survivor Fabrice Muamba says the boat capsized into the Kasai River late Saturday. He says the boat was also carrying many drums full of fuel through Kasai Occidental Province. He says he thinks 15 people were able to swim to safety.

Congo is a vast country of jungles and huge rivers in Central Africa with little more than 300 miles (480 kilometers) of paved road. Many people prefer to take boats even if they do not know how to swim.

The boats are often in poor repair and filled beyond capacity, and the industry is not well-regulated.

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