At least 41 die as boat capsizes in DRC’s Lake Tanganyika

By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press. Published On 25 Sep 202625 Sep 2026.

Key points

• After a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), at least 41 individuals have died, and 49 others have been rescued.
• On August 28, the Congolese vessel MV Pacifique caught fire and exploded at the port of Kigoma while loading fuel, according to Radio Okapi.
• Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for DRC's Tanganyika province, informed The Associated Press news agency that search operations were under way to locate the remaining passengers.
• The boat was reportedly carrying regarding 100 residents 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.

In practice, the boat was reportedly carrying regarding 100 residents and cargo when it capsized near the Congolese village of Mapera.

In practice, the vessel was travelling from the port of Kigoma in Tanzania to the city of Kalemie in DRC when it sank on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a survivor identified as Annie Moyoni informed Radio Okapi, a UN-backed Congolese broadcaster, that passengers were awakened at concerning 1am and discovered the boat tilting to one side.

It is unclear what caused the vessel to capsize, but hundreds of individuals have been killed in boat disasters in the DRC over recent years, according to the AP. Vessels are often overloaded and lack life jackets.

For plenty of in the DRC, travelling by boat is the cheapest and most affordable way to secure around. The country is one of the poorest in the world and lacks sufficient infrastructure for its more than 100 million individuals.

Meanwhile, the sinking was the second loss of a Congolese vessel on the Kigoma-Kalemie route in less than a month.

Six crew members were killed, and a seventh was documented missing, Radio Okapi stated, citing port authorities. The vessel operated between Kigoma and Kalemie and was applied to transport fuel.

At least 20 individuals additionally died when a wooden boat carrying students returning from state exams sank in central DRC in July.

For now, at least 41 die as boat capsizes in DRC's Lake Tanganyika remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.