The death toll from a boat crash in Congo earlier this week rose to 148 from 50 with more than 100 still missing, officials said Friday.

The boat capsized Tuesday after catching fire in northwestern Congo, leaving at least 148 people dead and hundreds missing, officials said.

Dozens were saved following the accident on the Congo River, many of them with bad burns. The search for the missing began Wednesday with rescue teams supported by the Red Cross and provincial authorities.

The motorized wooden boat with about 400 passengers caught fire near the town of Mbandaka, Competent Loyoko, the river commissioner, told The Associated Press. The boat, HB Kongolo, had left the port of Matankumu for the Bolomba territory.

"The death toll among the 500 passengers on board was extremely high," said Sen. Jean-Paul Boketsu Bofili of Equateur province Friday. "As we speak, more than 150 survivors suffering from third-degree burns are without humanitarian assistance."

Deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations.