(Photo:CGTN)

Over 40 people were drowned after a boat sank last week on the Ubangi river in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said local authorities in the North Ubangi province.

Gbodi Kete, the administrator of the territory of Bosobolo told Xinhua "The boat that was already in a dilapidated state was sailing nightly from the Central African Republic on the river when it capsized."

A source of the cabinet of the governor of North Ubangi province said that more people could be drowned because so far the exact number of passengers and goods from the country of departure was not known.