Get you up to speed: At least 41 die as boat capsizes in DRC’s Lake Tanganyika
At least 41 people have died and 49 others have been rescued after a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The vessel was carrying about 100 people and cargo when it sank near the village of Mapera while travelling from Kigoma in Tanzania to Kalemie in DRC.
Search operations for the remaining missing passengers are currently ongoing, according to Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for DRC’s Tanganyika province. The incident marks the second consecutive maritime tragedy on the Kigoma-Kalemie route within a month, following a vessel fire that resulted in fatalities on August 28.
Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for DRC’s Tanganyika province, has confirmed that search operations are ongoing to locate the remaining passengers from the recent boat capsize on Lake Tanganyika. The frequent occurrence of such disasters has prompted calls for improved safety measures and stricter regulation of passenger vessels in the DRC, where many rely on boat travel due to inadequate infrastructure.
What remains unclear — Investigators have not determined the cause of the boat’s capsizing.
At least 41 dead after boat capsizes on Lake Tanganyika in DRC
News|ShippingAt least 41 die as boat capsizes in DRC’s Lake Tanganyika
About 100 people, as well as cargo, were reportedly on board the vessel when it sank on Lake Tanganyika.
Published On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026
Published On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026At least 41 people have died, and 49 others have been rescued, after a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for DRC’s Tanganyika province, told The Associated Press news agency that search operations were under way to locate the remaining passengers.
The boat was reportedly carrying about 100 people and cargo when it capsized near the Congolese village of Mapera.
The vessel was travelling from the port of Kigoma in Tanzania to the city of Kalemie in DRC when it sank on Thursday.
A survivor identified as Annie Moyoni told Radio Okapi, a UN-backed Congolese broadcaster, that passengers were awakened at about 1am and found the boat tilting to one side.
It is unclear what caused the vessel to capsize, but hundreds of people have been killed in boat disasters in the DRC in recent years, according to the AP. Vessels are often overloaded and lack life jackets.
For many in the DRC, travelling by boat is the cheapest and most affordable way to get around. The country is one of the poorest in the world and lacks sufficient infrastructure for its more than 100 million people.
The sinking was the second loss of a Congolese vessel on the Kigoma-Kalemie route in less than a month.
On August 28, the Congolese vessel MV Pacifique caught fire and exploded at the port of Kigoma while loading fuel, according to Radio Okapi.
Six crew members were killed, and a seventh was reported missing, Radio Okapi said, citing port authorities. The vessel operated between Kigoma and Kalemie and was used to transport fuel.
At least 20 people also died when a wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams sank in central DRC in July.