At least 12 dead and dozens missing after vessel capsizes in Lake Kivu, DRC

A vessel carrying fish traders capsized in Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday night, resulting in at least 12 fatalities and dozens of individuals reported missing, according to local authorities. The vessel was carrying more than 50 people near Idjwi Island in South Kivu province, as stated by Félix Habiragi, the chief of the village of Kisheke, located near the incident site. The cause of the capsizing is currently unclear, but approximately 15 people have been rescued. The vessel was transporting fish traders and goods from Bwina on Idjwi Island to Boza, as reported by local administrator Muhindo Ntambuka Pascal. Videos from the scene depict villagers and other passengers retrieving bodies from the lake. Boat accidents are frequent in the DRC, where rivers and lakes serve as vital transportation routes for over 100 million people. Vessels are often overloaded with goods and passengers, many of whom travel without life jackets. Dorcelle Bagazane, a civil society member in Idjwi, noted that authorities had begun requiring passengers to wear life jackets, yet many continue to travel without them. Earlier this week, another incident occurred on Lake Tanganyika in the DRC, where at least 41 people died and 49 were rescued after a boat capsized while carrying about 100 people and cargo near the village of Mapera.