UNITED NATIONS, July 29 (Xinhua) -- UN General Assembly President Ali Treki on Thursday expressed deep sadness after learning that a boat overturned on a major river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reportedly killing around 140 people.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Treki described the news of the capsizing as shocking, and offered his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and government of the DRC.
Media reports said that the boat capsized on Wednesday as it was transporting passengers and goods along the Kasai River, a tributary of the Congo River, from the town of Mushie to Kinshasa, the national capital. There are indications that the boat was overloaded.
Many Congolese travel by boat, even when the vessel is overcrowded.
