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

At least 12 people have died and dozens more are missing after a vessel carrying fish traders capsized in Lake Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday night, authorities said.

The vessel was carrying more than 50 people when it went down near Idjwi Island in South Kivu province, said Félix Habiragi, chief of the village of Kisheke near the scene. About 15 people were rescued, and the cause of the accident was not immediately clear.

The boat was transporting fish traders and goods from Bwina on Idjwi Island to Boza, according to local administrator Muhindo Ntambuka Pascal. Christian Amini Ndahira, a resident of Idjwi, said he lost a friend on the boat: “We had even spoken in the evening, before he boarded that boat.”

Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, where rivers and lakes are a major means of transport for more than 100 million people. Vessels are often overloaded, and passengers frequently travel without life jackets. “The authorities had, in particular, begun requiring passengers to wear life jackets. Today, however, many people continue to travel without them,” said Dorcelle Bagazane, a member of civil society in Idjwi.

The disaster comes just two days after at least 41 people died when a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika, reportedly carrying about 100 people and cargo when it went down near the village of Mapera.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: At least 12 dead and dozens missing after a vessel capsizes in DRC
• Associated Press: At least 12 dead and dozens missing after a vessel capsized in eastern Congo’s Lake Kivu