, Sept. 13 -- Two separate boat accidents in northwestern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) this week have left at least 193 people dead and dozens more missing, authorities and state media said Friday.

The tragedies occurred on Wednesday and Thursday, about 150 kilometers apart in Equateur province.

On Thursday evening, a whaleboat carrying nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized along the Congo River in Lukolela territory, killing 107 people, according to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. At least 209 survivors were rescued near the village of Malange, while a memo from the Ministry of Social Affairs said 146 others were still missing.

A day earlier, another motorized boat capsized in Basankusu territory, claiming the...