Goma, Congo, 4 October 2024 (dpa/MIA) -- At least 126 people have died after a boat sank in Lake Kivu in Congo, authorities said on Thursday.

Initially, more than 450 people were believed to have been aboard the ferry en route to the eastern city of Goma, but official Venant Rugusha Descartes later spoke of 700 passengers.

Forty-five people have been rescued so far, while 126 bodies had been recovered by the evening, he said.

Descartes said he believes that another 500 people could have died. The boat, likely having been overcrowded, capsized and sank rapidly, shortly before docking.

The vessel was travelling from Minova in the province of South Kivu to Goma near the border with Rwanda, according to a dpa reporter at the scene.

The road network in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Africa's second-largest country - is relatively underdeveloped, meaning boats and passenger ferries are often the only means of transport for many people.

Serious boat accidents are not uncommon in Africa. Vessels are often old, in poor condition or overloaded, while safety regulations such as the provision of life jackets are frequently not adhered to.

On Tuesday, at least 60 people died in northern Nigeria when a ship sank on the Niger River. According to authorities, about 300 people were on board, with 150 reported missing.