At Least 41 Dead After Boat Sinks on Lake Tanganyika

At least 41 people have died after a boat capsized and sank on Lake Tanganyika near the Congolese village of Mapera, authorities said.

Forty-nine people were rescued following the incident, while search operations were continuing to locate other passengers, according to Norris Mulongoyi, the transport minister for Tanganyika province, who spoke to The Associated Press.

The vessel was reportedly carrying about 100 people and cargo when it sank while travelling from the port of Kigoma in Tanzania to Kalemie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The total number of people aboard remains uncertain, and the final death toll has not been established. The cause of the capsizing was also unclear.

Survivor describes sudden danger

Annie Moyoni, a survivor who spoke to Radio Okapi, said passengers were awakened at about 1am and found that the boat was tilting to one side.

No further details about the identities of those who died, those still missing or the rescue operation were provided in the available reports.

The Associated Press, as cited in reports, said vessels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are often overloaded and may lack life jackets. The country’s waterways are widely used because boat travel is the cheapest and most affordable way for many people to move around.

Second vessel loss on route in less than a month

The sinking was described as the second loss of a Congolese vessel operating on the Kigoma–Kalemie route in less than a month.

On August 28, the MV Pacifique caught fire and exploded at the port of Kigoma while loading fuel, according to Radio Okapi. The vessel operated between Kigoma and Kalemie and was used to transport fuel. Six crew members were killed and a seventh was reported missing, Radio Okapi said, citing port authorities.

Another boat accident in central Congo in July killed at least 20 people. That vessel was carrying students returning from state examinations when it sank.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is described as one of the poorest countries in the world and has insufficient infrastructure for its population of more than 100 million people. Those conditions have contributed to the importance of water transport for communities across the country.