Ferry Capsizes in Lake Kivu, Leaving Dozens Dead
A devastating ferry accident took place on October 3 in Lake Kivu, located in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, claiming the lives of at least 78 people, as confirmed by the provincial governor. The ferry, carrying 278 passengers, capsized in a tragic event that left the community in mourning.
Onlookers shared the heartbreaking aftermath, as grieving relatives stood by while victims were placed in body bags.
Footage circulated online shows the overcrowded ferry, its decks filled with passengers, tilting precariously in calm waters before eventually overturning, sending people plunging into the lake.
The governor of South Kivu province confirmed that 78 people have died, with 278 passengers aboard the ferry.
“It will take at least three days to determine the exact numbers, as not all bodies have been recovered yet,” Governor Jean Jacques Purisi told Reuters.
Meanwhile, North Kivu’s governor reported that 58 passengers survived the disaster. The ferry capsized roughly 700 meters from the port, and an investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing.
One survivor, speaking from a local hospital, recalled that the lake was calm when the overcrowded boat suddenly overturned. As others around him drowned, he fought to stay afloat until Congolese troops rescued him.
“I saw people going under—many disappeared beneath the water. I watched women and children struggle, and I almost drowned myself, but God saved me,” said 51-year-old Alfani Buroko Byamungu.
At the port in Goma, the ferry’s intended destination, crowds gathered in mourning. Some wept openly, while others voiced their anger, blaming authorities for neglecting the region’s prolonged rebel conflict, which has forced people to rely on overcrowded boats due to disrupted road access.
“This is all because of the war… They don’t even try to clear the roads of enemies to make them usable again,” shouted Mushagulua Bienfait, a Goma resident who lost three family members in the disaster.
Watch the video below.