"The provisional toll is 20 dead," Didier Nsimba, deputy administrator of Mbanza-Ngungu territory told AFP.
Six killed, 30 injured as bus returning from Bhit Shah overturns in Hyderabad
The bus, laden with people and goods, was travelling from Lufu to Kinshasa when the brakes failed, he said.
An injured passenger who gave her name as Nacha said more than 100 people had been in the vehicle at the time, and many bodies were burned beyond recognition.
Mbanza-Ngungu is located about 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Kinshasa on Highway 1, a road with a notorious reputation for deadly accidents.
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