A BOAT carrying numerous passengers capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, killing at least 50 people, according to witnesses.

It remains unclear how many people were on board or how many died, but witnesses reported seeing rescue services recover at least 50 bodies from the water. Ten survivors were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The boat, which was overloaded with passengers, sank while attempting to dock just meters away from the port of Kituku. It had been traveling from Minova in South Kivu province to Goma, in North Kivu province.

Local authorities stated that rescue efforts were still underway, and the death toll had yet to be confirmed. In a similar incident in February, the majority of the 50 passengers aboard a wooden boat were presumed dead after it capsized on Lake Kivu.

"This boat was carrying around 100 people, even though its capacity was only about 30," said South Kivu Governor Jean-Jacques Purusi in a radio interview following the accident.

The disaster is the latest in a series of deadly boat accidents in the central African country, where overcrowding is often the cause. Maritime regulations are frequently disregarded.

Congolese officials have consistently warned against overloading and have vowed to take action against those who violate safety measures for water transport. However, in remote areas where most passengers come from, many cannot afford public transport on the limited available roads.

In June, an overloaded boat sank near the capital, Kinshasa, killing 80 passengers. In January, 22 people died on Lake Maï-Ndombe, and in April 2023, six people died and 64 went missing on Lake Kivu.

Witnesses to Thursday’s accident said the boat was visibly overcrowded.

"I was at the port of Kituku when I saw the boat arriving from Minova, packed with passengers," said Francine Munyi. "It started losing balance and sank into the lake. Some people jumped into the water."

"Many died, and few survived," she added. "I couldn’t help because I don’t know how to swim."

Grieving families and Goma residents gathered at the port, accusing authorities of negligence amid rising insecurity in the region.

Due to fighting between armed forces and M23 rebels, the road between Goma and Minova has become impassable, forcing the closure of truck transport. Many traders have turned to maritime travel on Lake Kivu, which is considered safer than the increasingly insecure roads.

However, shipping agent Elia Asumani warned that the situation has become dangerous.
 "We're scared," he said. "This shipwreck was inevitable."

Bienfait Sematumba, 27, lost four family members in the disaster.
 "They’re all gone. I’m alone now," he said, weeping. "If the authorities had stopped the war, this shipwreck wouldn’t have happened."

About 10 survivors were taken to Kyeshero Hospital for treatment. One survivor, Neema Chimanga, said she was still in shock.
 "We saw the boat start to fill with water halfway through the trip," she told reporters. "The door opened, and we tried to close it, but water was already pouring in, and the boat tilted."

"I threw myself into the water and started swimming," she said. "I don’t know how I survived."