Public boats, with ample sleeping quarters, plied the Congo until the government of the DRC let them fall into disrepair. Now river traffic consists largely of barges (top) and pirogues (center).

As a result of a boat fire on the Congo River near Kinshasa, at least 148 people have died, and over 100 are still missing.

The central African country’s capital is on the southern bank of the Congo River, the second-longest river in Africa, and is prone to flooding. The Ndjili River flows through parts of Kinshasa ...