At least 58 people have died after their overloaded boat capsized in the Central African Republic's capital Bangui, the head of civil protection, Thomas Djimasse, stated Saturday - cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We were able to extract 58 lifeless bodies. We don't know the total number of people who are underwater," Djimasse said.

The boat was carrying more than 300 people when it overturned on the Mpoko river on Friday.

The boat was heading to the funeral of a village chief but capsized shortly after setting off, with rescuers arriving 40 minutes after the disaster.

Families were seen near the river on Saturday looking for their loved ones who were still missing.

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