12 Dead, Dozens Missing After DRC Boat Capsizes on Lake Kivu

A vessel carrying more than 50 fish traders and goods capsized on Lake Kivu near Idjwi Island in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday night, killing at least 12 people, according to Al Jazeera. Dozens remain missing, and about 15 people were rescued.

What happened on Lake Kivu?

The boat went down near the village of Kisheke in South Kivu province while ferrying fish traders and cargo from Bwina, on Idjwi Island, to the mainland town of Boza, said local administrator Muhindo Ntambuka Pascal, as reported by Al Jazeera. Félix Habiragi, chief of Kisheke, said the cause was not immediately clear. Video from the scene showed villagers and passengers pulling bodies from the water.

How many people were on board and how many are missing?

The vessel carried more than 50 people, Habiragi told Al Jazeera. With at least 12 confirmed dead and roughly 15 rescued, dozens of passengers had not been accounted for as of the report. No final toll had been issued.

By the numbers

• More than 50 people aboard the Lake Kivu vessel
• At least 12 confirmed dead; about 15 rescued
• At least 41 dead in a separate Lake Tanganyika capsizing two days earlier, out of roughly 100 people aboard; 49 rescued

Why do boat accidents keep happening in DRC?

Rivers and lakes serve as primary transport routes for more than 100 million people in the country, Al Jazeera reported, and vessels are routinely overloaded with passengers and goods. Many travelers go without life jackets despite rules requiring them.

"The authorities had, in particular, begun requiring passengers to wear life jackets. Today, however, many people continue to travel without them," said Dorcelle Bagazane, a civil society member in Idjwi, quoted by Al Jazeera.

How does this compare to the Lake Tanganyika disaster days earlier?

The Lake Kivu capsizing came just two days after a boat carrying about 100 people and cargo went down on Lake Tanganyika near the village of Mapera, killing at least 41 people; 49 were rescued, according to Al Jazeera's earlier reporting linked within the same dispatch. The two incidents, on separate lakes roughly a week apart, underscore how frequently overloaded vessels sink on Congo's inland waterways.

What safety measures exist, and why do they fail?

Al Jazeera's report indicates that life-jacket requirements exist on paper but are inconsistently enforced, with Bagazane's account pointing to continued travel without them. No agency statement on enforcement steps or an investigation into the Lake Kivu sinking was included in the available reporting. Rescue efforts near Idjwi Island were ongoing at the time of the report, with the number of missing still undetermined.

HTT News will update this story as authorities release further details on the death toll and rescue operations.