DR Congo: More than 40 people missing after shipwreck on Lake Tanganyika

The shipwreck occurred on Thursday. At least 43 people have been rescued, including three children and four Tanzanian nationals, said Norris Mulongoy, the Minister of Transport for Tanganyika province.

Authorities had not yet released information regarding the causes of the accident at the time of the initial search operations. Local teams continued their efforts to locate the passengers still unaccounted for.

Water and lake transport remain essential in several regions of the DRC, where the road network is limited. However, accidents are common, often due to the condition of the vessels, overloading, and sometimes difficult navigation conditions.

Search efforts are ongoing.

The death toll could still rise as rescue operations continue. Provincial authorities indicated that the identification of survivors is ongoing to determine the exact number of missing persons.

Lake Tanganyika connects several countries in East and Central Africa and serves as a major transportation route for local populations. Numerous passenger and cargo movements are conducted daily by boat.