At least 12 dead and dozens missing after a vessel capsizes in DRC

What the report says

A vessel carrying fish traders capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens missing, according to local authorities cited by Al Jazeera. The accident occurred on Saturday night near Idjwi Island in South Kivu province. Officials said the boat was carrying more than 50 people and that about 15 passengers were rescued, while the cause of the incident was not immediately known.

The vessel was reportedly traveling from Bwina on Idjwi Island to Boza with traders and goods on board. Video seen by the outlet showed villagers and other passengers helping pull bodies from the water. The article said the dead and missing are part of a wider pattern of deadly transport accidents on DRC’s lakes and rivers, which remain essential travel routes for large parts of the population.

Authorities and civil society figures have previously warned about overloading and the common absence of life jackets on such trips. Al Jazeera also noted that the new capsizing came only two days after another boat accident in the country killed at least 41 people on Lake Tanganyika. The back-to-back disasters underscore longstanding safety concerns on inland waterways in the DRC, where boat travel is often one of the few practical transport options.