2 December 2014, 21:39 GMT
MOSCOW, December 15 (Sputnik) — At least 129 people were killed after a ferry sank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Lake Tanganyika, according to The Washington Post.
The ship was travelling between Katanga and South Kivu, which are located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo along Lake Tanganyika, which is the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume and separates the country from Tanzania.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdulrahman Kaniki told Reuters that there were about 500 people aboard the vessel, and that there were at least 230 confirmed survivors.
The BBC notes that such incidents are fairly common in the region because the ferries there are often significantly overloaded, adding that life jackets are often missing and that many passengers cannot swim.
An investigation to determine the cause of the tragedy is currently underway.
