A devastating series of boat accidents on the Congo River has plunged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into mourning, as authorities confirmed at least 193 people dead and scores more missing after two separate incidents in the country’s northwestern Equateur Province this week. The tragedies, which unfolded on consecutive days—Wednesday, September 10, and Thursday, September 11, 2025—have once again highlighted the perilous state of river transport in the region and the systemic challenges that continue to claim lives.
According to the DRC’s Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, the most recent and deadliest accident occurred Thursday evening along the Congo River in Lukolela territory. A whaleboat carrying nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized near the village of Malange. The ministry reported 107 people confirmed dead, with 146 still missing as of Friday. Remarkably, 209 survivors were rescued from the water, thanks to the combined efforts of naval personnel and community volunteers. The rescue operations, however, faced significant challenges due to limited resources and the remote location of the disaster.
Just a day earlier, tragedy had already struck the province. On Wednesday, a motorized boat capsized in the Basankusu territory, about 150 kilometers away, killing at least 86 people—most of them students, according to state media reports cited by Sky News and Reuters. Several others remain unaccounted for, and the precise number of missing is still unclear. Images from the scene showed villagers gathered around bodies, mourning the loss of friends and family members in an all-too-familiar ritual.
The causes of these accidents remain under investigation, but state media and government officials have pointed to improper loading and night navigation as likely factors in Wednesday’s disaster. The boats, often constructed from wood and poorly maintained, are frequently overloaded with passengers and goods. Life jackets are rare, and many vessels travel at night to maximize profits, further complicating rescue efforts when tragedy strikes. As a result, many bodies are never recovered, and the true scale of loss is often underestimated.
A local civil society group has placed the blame squarely on the government, arguing that lax enforcement of safety regulations and chronic neglect have made such disasters inevitable. The group also claimed that the actual death toll could be even higher than official figures suggest. "The government bears responsibility for these recurring tragedies," a representative stated, echoing widespread frustration among affected communities. Authorities, for their part, have pledged to provide medical care to the injured, support bereaved families, and arrange for the repatriation of survivors to their home villages and intended destinations.
River transport is a lifeline in Equateur Province and much of the DRC’s vast rainforest regions. With few reliable roads and limited infrastructure, old wooden vessels serve as the primary means of travel between isolated communities. The Congo River, the world’s deepest and one of its longest, is both a vital artery and a dangerous gauntlet for those who rely on it. As Al Jazeera and UNN have reported, the increasing frequency of boat capsizes reflects a troubling trend: as more people abandon crumbling roads for cheaper river routes, the risks only grow.
“Life jackets are rare and the boats are usually overloaded,” noted Sky News, summarizing the grim status quo. Many of the vessels are built to carry far fewer people than they actually do, and the combination of heavy cargo, rickety construction, and nighttime navigation creates a recipe for disaster. Night travel, in particular, is a major concern. It not only increases the likelihood of accidents but also hampers rescue operations, as darkness makes it nearly impossible to locate survivors or recover bodies swiftly.
Following the accidents, search operations were launched along the riverbanks, with both naval personnel and local volunteers combing the area for survivors and victims. The government’s humanitarian affairs ministry announced that medical teams had been dispatched to treat the injured and that arrangements were underway to bring survivors back to their places of origin or intended destinations. The ministry’s memo, seen by Reuters, emphasized the need for coordinated action and support for those affected.
The DRC’s chronic transport woes are not new. In a country where the vast majority of roads are impassable for much of the year, especially during the rainy season, riverboats have become the default mode of transportation. Yet, as Sky News and UNN have highlighted, this reliance comes at a steep cost. The boats are often old and poorly maintained, and the lack of regulatory oversight means that safety standards are routinely ignored. Overloading is common, and the absence of life jackets or basic safety equipment turns every journey into a potential catastrophe.
State media attributed Wednesday’s accident to “improper loading and night navigation,” a refrain that has become all too familiar in the wake of similar tragedies. Local civil society groups, meanwhile, have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of safety regulations and greater investment in transport infrastructure. Their pleas have so far gone largely unheeded, and the cycle of disaster and mourning continues.
For the families of the victims, the aftermath is a time of grief and unanswered questions. Many are left wondering whether their loved ones could have been saved if only basic safety measures had been in place. The haunting images of villagers gathered around bodies, as seen in photos from the scene, capture the deep pain and frustration felt by communities who rely on the river for their livelihoods but pay a terrible price for that dependence.
As the DRC grapples with the fallout from this week’s tragedies, the urgent need for reform is clear. Without significant improvements in vessel maintenance, passenger safety, and regulatory enforcement, the Congo River will remain both a lifeline and a deadly hazard for millions. For now, the focus remains on rescue and recovery, as families wait for news of the missing and a nation mourns yet another preventable disaster.
With the memories of these two accidents still raw, calls for accountability and action are growing louder. Whether this latest tragedy will finally spur meaningful change remains to be seen, but for the communities along the Congo River, the stakes could not be higher.