At least 41 dead after boat capsizes in DR Congo

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Thursday, 24 September 2026 22:06

At least 41 people have died after a boat travelling from Tanzania to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Lake Tanganyika capsized, local authorities said.

The vessel was carrying around 100 people as well as cargo, said Norris Mulongoyi, the provincial transport minister for Tanganyika province.

He said 49 people have been rescued and a search is ongoing for the remaining passengers.

"The vessel, travelling from Kigoma, Tanzania, to the city of Kalemie in the Congo's Tanganyika province, capsized near the village of Mapera," Mr Mulongoyi said.

The cause of the incident on Thursday was not immediately clear.

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Lake Tanganyika is the world's biggest freshwater lake and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal.

Boating tragedies are common in the central African country, with overcrowded vessels, late-night travelling and a shortage of life jackets often blamed for the high number of deaths.

In July, a wooden boat transporting students back from state exams sank in central DRC, killing at least 20 people, authorities said.

Poor safety standards and lack of infrastructure in remote parts of the country have contributed to the hundreds killed in boat disasters in recent years.

Sky News