As a result of the sinking of a boat in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 150 people on the boat were missing.

Congo's President Feliz Thisekdei said in a statement through his official social media account that 150 people were missing according to the first determinations.

The boat reportedly has set sail from northern Kivu to South Kivu and sunk near Kalehe region.

An activist Delphin Birimbi reported in the region that 33 people were rescued and 3 other bodies were removed while the rest were missing.

"What is at the root of this tragedy was first of all the bad loading. Then, there were violent winds," Birimbi said.

Vital Muhini, the national deputy from South Kivu Province, said the cause of the sinking was unknown. "For the moment, we want to have the exact number and the names of the victims who have embarked on this boat," Muhini said.

Because of a lack of public infrastructure in Congo, which is covered by dense forest, some private operators use boats to speed transport between regions. Many of the boats do not meet safety requirements, however, and shipwrecks in Congo are often caused by overloading and a lack of signs and alerts regarding lake conditions.

ILKHA