At least 19 people have died and dozens remain missing after a passenger boat capsized on Lake Mai-Ndombe in western Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
Winds cripple engine, boat overturns
The wooden vessel left Kiri village for Kinshasa late Thursday when strong winds disabled one engine, causing it to overturn, Mai-Ndombe provincial governor Nkoso Kevani Lebon said. Rescue teams recovered nine bodies on Friday and 10 more on Saturday, with 82 survivors pulled from the water.
“We still do not know how many people are missing,” Lebon told reporters.
Freddy Bonzeke Iliki, national representative for Mushie territory, said the boat was carrying at least 200 passengers – well above safe limits. He blamed persistent overloading and the use of makeshift wooden boats.
“I have proposed banning these wooden boats on Lake Mai-Ndombe, but the decision has not been taken,” Iliki said.
A recurring tragedy on Congo waterways
Overloading and poor vessel conditions make boat accidents common across Democratic Republic of Congo, where rivers and lakes remain the main transport link for millions in remote areas.
In September, two separate sinkings claimed at least 193 lives. Another barge capsized on 19 November in central Congo, leaving more than 60 people unaccounted for.
Background on Lake Mai-Ndombe
The lake, covering about 890 square miles in Mai-Ndombe province, was renamed from Lake Leopold II in 1972. Known in Lingala as “black water”, it is shallow – averaging three metres deep – and prone to sudden storms.
Humanitarian organisations have repeatedly called for compulsory life jackets, regular vessel inspections and stricter enforcement of passenger limits, but implementation remains weak amid ongoing conflict and stretched resources.
Search operations continued on Saturday as families waited anxiously on the shore for news of loved ones.
Agencies contributed to this report
