KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Two separate boat accidents this week in northwestern Congo killed at least 193 people dead and left scores missing, authorities and state media reported Friday

The accidents happened on Wednesday and Thursday, about 150 kilometers apart in the Equateur province.

One boat with nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized Thursday evening along the Congo River in the province’s Lukolela territory, Congo’s humanitarian affairs ministry said in a report. The report said 209 survivors were rescued following the accident, involving a whaleboat near the village of Malange in Lukolela territory.

A day earlier, a motorized boat capsized in the Basankusu territory of the province, killing at least 86 people, most of them students, state media reported. Several people were missing, but the reports did not give a figure of how many.

It was not immediately clear what caused either accident or whether rescue operations were continuing Friday evening.

State media attributed Wednesday’s accident to “improper loading and night navigation,” citing reports from the scene. Images that appeared to be from the scene showed villagers gathered around bodies as they mourned.

A local civil society group blamed Wednesday’s accident on the government and claimed the toll was higher. Authorities could not be immediately reached for comment.

The capsizing of boats is becoming increasingly frequent in this central African nation as more people are abandoning the few available roads for cheaper, wooden vessels crumbling under the weight of passengers and their goods.

In such trips, life jackets are rare and the vessels are usually overloaded.

Many of the boats also travel at night, complicating rescue efforts during accidents and leaving many bodies often unaccounted for.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

After more than 3,900 industry figures signed a pledge not to work with Israeli film institutions, Paramount released a statement condemning the widespread boycott.

“At Paramount, we believe in the power of storytelling to connect and inspire people, promote mutual understanding, and preserve the moments, ideas, and events that shape the world we share. This is our creative mission,” reads a statement provided by Paramount chief communications officer Melissa Zukerman.

“We do not agree with recent efforts to boycott Israeli filmmakers. Silencing individual creative artists based on their nationality does not promote better understanding or advance the cause of peace,” the statement continued. “The global entertainment industry should be encouraging artists to tell their stories and share their ideas with audiences throughout the world. We need more engagement and communication — not less.”

Paramount is the first major studio to speak out on this issue.

The pledge, published on Monday by the organization Film Workers for Palestine, saw more than 3,900 industry figures — including Oscar, BAFTA, Emmy and Palme d’Or winners — declare that they will refuse to work with Israeli institutions and companies that are “implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people.” The pledge statement states that examples of complicity include “whitewashing or justifying genocide and apartheid, and/or partnering with the government committing them.”

The original list of 1,200 signatories included filmmakers such as Yorgos Lanthimos, Ava DuVernay, Asif Kapadia, Emma Seligman, Boots Riley, Adam McKay and Joshua Oppenheimer, as well as actors including Olivia Colman, Ayo Edebiri, Mark Ruffalo, Riz Ahmed, Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem, Lily Gladstone, Hannah Einbinder, Gael Garcia Bernal, Melissa Barrera and Emma Stone.

By Wednesday, the letter had surpassed 3,900 signees: Nicola Coughlan, Andrew Garfield, Harris Dickinson, Bowen Yang, Guy Pearce, Jonathan Glazer, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Fisher Stevens, Abbi Jacobson, Eric Andre, Elliot Page, Payal Kapadia and Emma D’Arcy were among those who added their names, as were Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara, who recently signed on as executive producers of the Venice-prizewinning Gaza drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The couple walked the red carpet at the film’s festival premiere while sporting badges in support of Palestine.