At least 55 people died in a boat accident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local authorities confirmed to dpa on Friday.

Many of  people were still missing, spokesperson Jose Misiso said.

The overcrowded boat was travelling on the Congo River and capsized close to the town of Bumba in the northern Mongala province in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to the spokesperson, only 30 people had been rescued so far.

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The exact number of missing people was unclear.

While the authorities said 75 passengers were still missing, survivors spoke of a total of 400 people who had been on board.

The Congo River and its tributaries is an important traffic route for many people in Congo due to poor road infrastructure in the country.

The boats were often overcrowded, however, and accidents are a common occurrence.