At least 41 people have died after a passenger boat travelling on Lake Tanganyika capsized near the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) village of Mapera.
The vessel was travelling from Kigoma in Tanzania to Kalemie in DRC’s Tanganyika Province when it sank on Thursday, September 24, according to provincial authorities. About 100 people were reportedly on board, along with cargo.
Tanganyika Provincial Transport Minister Norris Mulongoyi said rescue teams had managed to save 49 passengers, while search operations continued for anyone still missing.
One survivor, identified as Annie Moyoni, told Radio Okapi that passengers were awakened at about 1am after noticing that the boat was tilting to one side.
The exact cause of the accident remains unclear, although reports have raised questions about vessel safety and loading practices. Boat accidents are relatively common in the DRC, where overcrowding and a shortage of life jackets have been identified as recurring safety concerns.
The latest disaster comes less than a month after another Congolese vessel operating on the same Kigoma-Kalemie route caught fire and exploded while loading fuel at the port of Kigoma. Six crew members were killed in that incident, according to Radio Okapi.
In July, at least 20 people also died after a wooden boat carrying students returning from state examinations sank in central DRC.
Search and rescue operations on Lake Tanganyika remain ongoing as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the latest sinking.
