18 killed when truck plunges into a ravine in southwestern Congo

BY JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congolese authorities say a truck driving at high speed ran out of control and plunged into a ravine in a southwestern region of the country, killing 18 passengers and injuring more than a score of others. A police officer said the truck was “filled with goods and carrying many passengers” as it traveled along a major highway in Kongo Central district on Sunday. The bodies recovered of the victims have been deposited at a morgue while the injured — six serious and 15 minor — are receiving treatment, the police officer said. Speeding is a common cause of crashes along major roads in Congo where traffic rules are often not adhered to.