Key facts
- At least 30 passengers, including students, died when a boat sank in Lake Tumba, Congo.
- The boat was transporting passengers and goods to a market.
- Turbulent waters due to heavy rains are believed to have caused the capsizing.
- Many people remain missing as search efforts continue.
- Congolese authorities have repeatedly promised to improve water travel safety, but accidents remain common.
At least 30 passengers, including several students, were killed when a wooden boat sank in Lake Tumba in northwestern Congo's Equateur province amid extreme weather. The incident occurred late Wednesday in the Bikoro territory, and a search is underway for many people still missing.
Authorities and residents confirmed that the boat was transporting passengers and goods to a market in the village of Ikoko Bongonda when it capsized. Territorial administrator Justin Mputu told local media that 30 bodies had been recovered and more people are missing. José Ipalaka, a retired senior government official who lives in Bikoro, stated that three of his relatives were among the confirmed dead and that other family members were assisting in the search.
The capsizing is believed to have been caused by turbulent waters due to heavy recent rains. Videos shared by local residents depicted scenes of grief, with people wailing over bodies laid out on the ground, and one clip showed a man loading children's bodies into a canoe.
Rivers and lakes are a primary means of transportation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, especially in remote areas with poor infrastructure. However, deadly boat accidents are common, often attributed to poor maintenance, overloading, and extreme weather. Despite repeated promises by Congolese authorities to improve water travel safety, the situation has not improved, with experts warning that such accidents will continue unless decisive action is taken. In April, at least 50 people died in a separate boating tragedy after a vessel caught fire and capsized in the country’s northwest, and more than 80 people perished in June of the previous year when a boat sank near the capital, Kinshasa.