Around 50 killed on their way to funeral as boat capsizes in Bangui

"We were alerted 40 minutes after the incident and rescuers were able to extract around 50 lifeless bodies," civil protection department head Thomas Djimasse told Reuters.

He added, in a telephone interview, that the search was continuing with more people possibly drowned in the Mpoko River.

Government spokesperson Maxime Balalou gave a death toll of over 30 and called for better compliance with river transport safety regulations.