Congo officials says that two separate boat capsizes have left at least 270 people dead. Both incidents are believed to have been caused by over crowding.

Early Saturday, a boat on the Rupi River in northwest Equateur Province hit a rock and capsized, killing more than 70 people. Another boat accident, later Saturday night, in Kasai Occidental Province, is believed to have killed 200.

A survivor, says the boat caught fire and capsized while local fishermen refused to help. The incident would be the deadliest boat accident in the Central African nation this year.

Congo is a vast country of jungles and huge rivers. However, boats that traverse Congo's rivers are often poorly maintained, filled beyond capacity, and in an industry that isn't well regulated.

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