At least 41 people have died after a boat travelling from Tanzania to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) capsized on Lake Tanganyika.
The accident occurred on Thursday, September 24, 2026, near the Congolese village of Mapera in Tanganyika Province.
According to local authorities, the vessel was travelling from Kigoma in Tanzania to the city of Kalemie in the DRC when it capsized. The boat was carrying about 100 people as well as cargo at the time of the incident.
Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for Tanganyika Province, said 49 people had been rescued following the accident, while search operations were continuing for passengers who remained unaccounted for.
A survivor identified as Annie Moyoni told Radio Okapi that passengers were awakened at around 1:00 a.m. after noticing that the vessel was tilting to one side.
The exact cause of the accident had not been established at the time of reporting.
The tragedy has renewed concerns about safety on waterways in the DRC, where boats are an important means of transportation, particularly in areas where road infrastructure is limited.
According to reports, boat disasters have caused hundreds of deaths in the country in recent years. Overcrowding, inadequate safety equipment and the absence of life jackets have frequently been identified as concerns surrounding some of the accidents.
Lake Tanganyika, one of Africa’s major lakes, serves as an important transport route connecting communities in the DRC and neighbouring countries, including Tanzania.
The latest incident involved a vessel operating along the Kigoma-Kalemie route, a route that has experienced another deadly incident in recent weeks.
On August 28, 2026, the Congolese vessel MV Pacifique caught fire and exploded at the port of Kigoma while it was being loaded with fuel. Six crew members were killed, while another person was reported missing, according to Radio Okapi.
The latest accident also follows another deadly boat disaster in central DRC in July, when at least 20 people died after a wooden boat carrying students returning from state examinations sank.
Rescue teams continued their search on Lake Tanganyika following Thursday’s accident as authorities worked to establish the final number of people who were on board.
The identities of those who died and the circumstances that led to the vessel capsizing are expected to be clarified as the rescue and investigation efforts continue.
The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by communities that depend on water transport for travel and the movement of goods across the DRC.
Source: Thepressradio.com
