12 dead, dozens missing after vessel capsizes in Congo's Lake Kivu

A vessel carrying traders capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Congo, killing at least 12 and leaving dozens missing, authorities said Sunday. The vessel was carrying more than 50 people when it capsized Saturday night off Idjwi Island, in South Kivu province, said Félix Habiragi, chief of the village of Kisheke near the scene of the accident. He said about 15 people have been rescued. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. Deadly boat accidents are common in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for its more than 100 million people.