According to The Associated Press, on the evening of September 26 local time, a passenger boat capsized near Idjwi Island in Lake Kivu, South Kivu province, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Preliminary figures show that at least 12 people were killed, dozens more are missing, and about 15 were rescued. The boat was carrying more than 50 people at the time.

The AP report noted that the DRC government at the national level has not yet officially confirmed the casualty figures from the accident. Therefore, the related death and missing numbers should be treated as provisional and may change as rescue operations continue. The current rescue priority remains searching for missing passengers and recovering the dead.

Lake Kivu is an important transport route connecting communities in North Kivu and South Kivu in the DRC. Because road transport in some parts of the east is severely affected by insecurity and armed conflict, local residents have become increasingly dependent on lake transport for passengers and cargo.

In the DRC, rivers and lakes are the main means of transport for more than 100 million people. However, problems such as boats being overloaded with cargo and passengers and passengers not wearing life jackets have long persisted. It is understood that authorities had specifically required passengers to wear life jackets, but many people still travel without them today.

The report said that earlier this week, a boat capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the DRC, leaving at least 41 people dead and 49 rescued. According to reports, the boat was carrying about 100 people and cargo when it capsized, near Mapela village in the DRC.

In April 2026, another boat capsized on Lake Kivu while en route to Makengere, leaving at least 21 people missing and 23 survivors. The cause of that accident was also under investigation.

For the latest passenger boat capsizing on Lake Kivu, authorities have not yet determined a clear cause. It is not yet clear whether overcrowding, weather conditions, mechanical failure, or other factors caused the boat to capsize. As rescue operations continue, authorities are expected to provide updated casualty figures.