At least 24 people died after an overloaded boat capsized on a river in Congo's Mai-Ndombe province, and the death toll is expected to rise as many passengers are missing, a local official said on Wednesday, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

The boat carrying about 250 to 300 passengers overturned on Sunday night after it hit tree trunks underwater, Kutu territory administrator Jacques Nzenza told Reuters.

Overloading was the main cause of the accident, he said. "There was an imbalance in the boat and the panicked people went to put the weight on one side, causing the boat to tip over."