At least 78 people have drowned after a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized on Thursday in Lake Kivu, located in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, provincial authorities have confirmed. The boat was en route to the city of Goma when it overturned, throwing passengers into the water just 700 meters from the shore. The tragic incident unfolded in calm waters, raising further concerns about the conditions on the vessel.
Governor Jean Jacques Purisi of South Kivu province reported that 78 bodies had been recovered so far, but he cautioned that the final death toll could rise as rescue efforts are ongoing. “It will take at least three days to get the exact figures,” he stated, adding that many passengers were still unaccounted for. Authorities continue their search operations, although the chances of finding more survivors are diminishing with each passing hour.
There were conflicting reports from the governor of North Kivu province, who said that 58 people had been rescued alive and 28 bodies had been recovered as of Friday. Investigations into the cause of the accident are underway, though overloading is suspected, a common issue in the region where boats often operate beyond their capacity.
Eyewitnesses described heart-wrenching scenes along the shore, where relatives of the victims gathered in grief. Rescue workers carried the bodies in bags, as mourners wept and prayed for their lost loved ones. Video footage circulating online showed the vessel heavily overcrowded, tilting dangerously before it eventually capsized, sending passengers into the lake. Reuters has not yet been able to verify the authenticity of the footage.
Survivors have shared harrowing accounts of the ordeal. Alfani Buroko Byamungu, a 51-year-old man currently recovering in a local hospital, described how the boat suddenly flipped. “I saw women and children sinking into the water. I was close to drowning myself, but God saved me,” he recounted from his hospital bed.
Meanwhile, in Goma, the boat’s intended destination, a large crowd gathered at the port. Some mourners wiped tears from their eyes while others expressed frustration and anger at the authorities, blaming the prolonged conflict with rebels for disrupting road networks and forcing people to rely on overcrowded boats. “This is all because of the war,” lamented Mushagulua Bienfait, a Goma resident who lost three relatives in the accident. “They don’t clear the roads, so people have no choice but to overcrowd these boats.”
Deadly boat accidents are tragically frequent in Congolese waters, where vessels are often loaded beyond their capacity, and safety measures are frequently neglected. As the search for more victims continues, there are growing calls for urgent action to improve safety standards on the country’s waterways.
