A passenger boat sank on Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo drowning at least two children and one woman.
A local official said on Wednesday, survivors had warned that dozens more were still missing.
Deadly boat accidents are common in DR Congo, where boats frequently load beyond their capacity.
Regional government spokesman Claude Basila said the boat, bound for the regional capital Goma, capsized overnight on Tuesday, after having set off in the dark overloaded. The spokesman said 51 passengers were on board, 46 were rescued, three died, and two missing.
But survivors who were rescued by local boatsmen said the vessel had been carrying at least 100 passengers.
“A big wave knocked it over and there was nothing more but screams,” said Daniel Mutukura, who trod water for five hours before being rescued.
“I realized a lot of people had drowned because there were more than 100 people on board,” he told Reuters.
A survivor, Mubatiza Mukanirwa, said his wife and children had drowned. He estimated the boat had been carrying nearly 250 people, while another survivor thought 200 had been on board.
Mukanirwa said, it hurts so terribly.”
