At least two children and a woman have drowned after a passenger boat capsized on Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, regional government spokesman Claude Basila has been quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

A total of 46 passengers had been rescued, while two were still missing, he added.

The overloaded boat had been traveling to the main city in eastern DR Congo, Goma, when it capsized overnight on Tuesday, Mr Basila said.

A survivor, Mubatiza Mukanirwa, told Reuters that his wife and children had drowned.

"It hurts so terribly," he said.

Other survivors said the death toll was likely to be higher, as the boat was carrying between 100 and 250 passengers.

"A big wave knocked it over and there was nothing more but screams," survivor Daniel Mutukura told Reuters.

Many people travel by boat in DR Congo because of a poor road and rail network