At least 20 bodies have been recovered from a boat accident taking place late Monday in Kasai province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local authorities said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.
At least 17 bodies were recovered Tuesday and three others on Friday in places along the Kasai river.
The boat caught fire after a crew member lit a cigarette while other members poured fuel into the engine tank of the boat, according to the maritime station in the village of Tshimbinda.
Rescuers were continuing their search for the missing people.
Accidents are frequent on the rivers in the country, with dozens recorded since the beginning of the year. The main causes of accidents are usually overloads and poor condition of the boats across the country.