78 Drown After Boat Capsizes in Lake Kivu, Provincial Governor Reports

By Djaffar Al Katanty and Ange Kasongo

GOMA (Reuters) – A tragic incident occurred on Thursday when a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in at least 78 drownings, according to the provincial governor.

Witnesses reported seeing relatives weeping on the shore as victims were retrieved and placed in body bags. Video footage widely circulated online depicted the overcrowded multi-deck vessel tilting in calm waters before it flipped, sending passengers struggling into the lake.

The exact number of missing individuals remains unclear, and regional officials have provided conflicting figures regarding the death toll. The governor of South Kivu province stated that 78 people perished, while the governor of neighboring North Kivu province reported that 58 survivors had been rescued and 28 confirmed dead so far.

The boat capsized approximately 700 meters from the port, and an investigation into the causes of the accident is underway, according to the governor’s statement.

Fatal boat accidents are frequent in Congolese waters, as vessels often carry more passengers than they are designed for.

One survivor recounted the events to local hospital staff, stating that conditions were calm when the boat suddenly overturned. He recounted how he fought to stay afloat as others around him drowned, until he was eventually rescued by Congolese troops. "I saw people sinking, many went under. I saw women and children drowning, and I myself was on the verge of drowning, but God helped me," shared 51-year-old Alfani Buroko Byamungu.

At the Goma port, where the vessel was scheduled to dock, crowds formed as family members mourned their losses. Many expressed their anger towards authorities, blaming ongoing rebel conflicts for impassable roads that result in reliance on overcrowded boats. "All of this is part of the consequences of the war… They no longer make an effort to clear the enemies off the road so that it can become operational again," lamented Mushagulua Bienfait, a Goma resident who lost three relatives in the tragedy.