At least 12 dead and dozens missing after a vessel capsizes in DRC
News Source
β’Sun, 27 Sep 2026 18:47:52 +0000
π° What Happened
A boat carrying fish traders capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 12 people died and dozens are still missing. The vessel held more than 50 people when it went down on Saturday night near Idjwi Island.
Local officials said about 15 people were rescued. The cause is not yet known. Videos from the scene showed villagers pulling bodies from the water.
π The Backstory
Boats are a main way to travel in the DRC, a country of over 100 million people. Rivers and lakes connect towns that have few good roads. Many vessels carry too many passengers and goods.
Officials have tried to make passengers wear life jackets. Aid workers say many people still travel without them. Similar accidents have killed dozens of people in recent years.
π― Why It Matters
Families in the region depend on boats for work and food. Overloaded boats with no safety gear put ordinary travellers at risk every day.
A boat carrying fish traders capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. At least 12 people died and dozens are still missing. The vessel held more than 50 people when it went down on Saturday night near Idjwi Island.
Local officials said about 15 people were rescued. The cause is not yet known. Videos from the scene showed villagers pulling bodies from the water.
Boats are a main way to travel in the DRC, a country of over 100 million people. Rivers and lakes connect towns that have few good roads. Many vessels carry too many passengers and goods.
Officials have tried to make passengers wear life jackets. Aid workers say many people still travel without them. Similar accidents have killed dozens of people in recent years.
Families in the region depend on boats for work and food. Overloaded boats with no safety gear put ordinary travellers at risk every day.