Congo disaster: Boat capsizes on Lake Mai-Ndombe due to violent winds; 20 dead

At least 20 people died, and several remain missing after a boat capsized on Lake Maï-Ndombe in northwestern Congo, according to local residents. The vessel, traveling from the town of Kiri to the capital, Kinshasa, included a newly ordained Catholic deacon, the local Diocese said in a statement on Friday.

The boat capsized between the villages of Bobeni and Lobeke around 8 pm on Thursday night, Emmanuel Bola, a resident of the nearby town of Inongo, told AP.

The Congolese government has not released an official death toll. Kevani Nkoso, governor of Maï-Ndombe province, said, “We are awaiting details from the teams deployed to the field to determine the number of people killed and the number of survivors.”

Boat capsizing incidents are becoming increasingly frequent in Congo as more people rely on wooden vessels instead of the few available roads. Many of these boats are overloaded with passengers and goods, rarely equipped with life jackets, and often travel at night, making rescue efforts difficult and leaving many bodies unaccounted for.

Earlier this month, another capsizing left 64 people missing. In September, at least 193 people died in two separate boat accidents in northwestern Congo, which state media attributed to “improper loading and night navigation.”