BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo - 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.

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.

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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."

Fidele Lizoringo, a civil society leader in the territory, said 43 people survived but angry villagers lynched the boat manager because some of their relatives had died in the accident.

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River travel and deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, which has few paved roads across its vast, forested territory and vessels are frequently loaded well beyond their capacity.