GOMA, Congo — At least 78 people died when an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, a local governor said. A frantic search and rescue operation was underway hours later as many remained unaccounted for from the vessel, believed to have had 278 people on board.

Jean-Jacques Purusi, the governor of the South Kivu province, said the death toll was provisional and that the number of fatalities could rise further. He said that according to the information that local authorities had, there were 278 people on board.

The boat set off from the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was en route to Goma, in North Kivu province, Purusi said, speaking over the phone.

"We do not yet have (the full picture of) the whole situation but we will have it by tomorrow,” he told The Associated Press.

The boat sank while trying to dock just meters (yards) away from the port of Kituku, according to witnesses who said they saw rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water.

It was the latest deadly boat accident in the central African country, where overcrowding on vessels is often to blame. Maritime regulations also are often not followed.

Congolese officials have often warned against overloading and vowed to punish those violating safety measures for water transportation. But in remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads.

“We will establish responsibilities and put in place a sanctions regime but also recommendations to improve navigation on the lake,” Purusi told the AP.

He added that a lack of adequate equipment — there were no life jackets on the vessel — likely contributed to the tragedy, as did the overcrowding and negligence. Also, there had been a strong storm in the morning in the area of the lake, he added.

In June, an overloaded boat sank near the capital of Kinshasa and 80 passengers lost their lives. In January, 22 people died on Lake Maî-Ndombe and in April 2023, six were killed and 64 went missing on Lake Kivu.

Witnesses of the Thursday tragedy said the boat was visibly overcrowded.

People gather at the port of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a ferry carrying hundreds capsized on arrival Thursday. Moses Sawasawa/AP hide caption