TRAGIC BOAT CAPSIZING IN DRC CLAIMS DOZENS OF LIVES, INCLUDING FOOTBALL PLAYERS

Mon 10 March 2025:

A boat has capsized in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo and killed 25 people, many of them football players, authorities have said.

The players were returning from a match in Mushie city in Mai-Ndombe province on Sunday night when the vessel capsized on the Kwa River, said Alexis Mputu, the provincial spokesperson on Monday.

Mputu suggested that the poor visibility at night may have been a factor.

At least 30 other people survived, said Renacle Kwatiba, the local administrator of Mushie territory.

Deadly boat accidents are common in the central African country, where late-night travels and overcrowded vessels are often blamed. Authorities have struggled to enforce maritime regulations.

DRC’s rivers are a major means of transport for more than 100 million people, especially in remote areas where infrastructure is poor or nonexistent.

Hundreds have been killed in boat accidents in recent years as more people abandon the few available roads for wooden vessels packed with passengers and their goods.

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Boat capsizing incidents have been a recurring tragedy in the DRC, largely due to the country’s reliance on water transport amid poor road infrastructure, overloading of vessels, and lax safety regulations.

The DRC’s vast river systems, including the Congo River and lakes like Kivu and Mai-Ndombe, are vital for travel and trade, but they’ve also been sites of devastating accidents.

Historically, these incidents date back decades, with notable examples including a 2015 collision on the Congo River where over 100 went missing. In May 2019, at least 30 died when a boat sank on Lake Mai-Ndombe during violent winds. In June 2024, over 80 perished near Kinshasa when an overloaded boat capsized. October 2024 saw 78 drown on Lake Kivu due to overcrowding, and just days before December 22, 2024, 25 died in the northeast. On December 22, a ferry on the Busira River sank, killing 38, with over 100 missing—many heading home for Christmas.

Most incidents stem from overloading, lack of life jackets, and poor vessel maintenance, worsened by insecurity driving people to riskier water routes.

Despite official promises to enforce safety, enforcement remains weak, making these tragedies a persistent challenge in the DRC.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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