Boat moving in the Congo River. (-)

At least 30 people have drowned and over 160 others are missing in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after a boat capsized on the Congo River, multiple reports said.

According to the BBC, the incident occurred on Friday near the city of Mbandaka in the country’s northwest.

A government official the boat it was carrying more than 300 people, as well as cargo, amid fears that the number of casualties could rise as search and rescue efforts continue.

Didier Mbula, provincial health minister for Equateur Province, told Reuters news agency that 189 people have been rescued and that the search is still going on.

“According to the numbers we have so far at the provincial government, 30 corpses have been recovered, 167 are still missing,” Mbula said.

Reports suggest the boat, which was sailing at night in breach of regulations, might have been overloaded.

Deadly boat accidents are frequent in Congolese waters, where vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity. The country has few tarred roads across its vast, forested territory, and travel by river is common.