Two vessels collided on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the evening hours on Sunday, resulting in significant loss of life. The accident occurred near the Ngombe-Lukolela area in Equateur province in the country’s northwestern region. Provincial interior minister Crispin Mputu confirmed that at least 30 people drowned in the incident, with additional individuals unaccounted for. Rescue operations were initiated in response to the disaster.
Mputu identified the vessels involved as a metal boat named “Dieu se cache,” traveling from Kinshasa, and a wooden vessel called “HB Super Victoire,” traveling from Businga. According to the minister, nearly all passengers aboard were trapped underwater when the vessels collided, and the boats subsequently sank. Those who perished have already been interred. The precise cause of the collision remains undetermined, though Mputu noted that nighttime navigation has been associated with multiple maritime accidents in the region.
A security officer who observed the incident reported to news agencies that the vessel originating from Kinshasa was heavily laden with cargo. Boating accidents occur with regularity in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conditions commonly blamed for such disasters include nighttime travel, overcrowded passenger loads, inadequate safety protocols, and limited infrastructure in isolated areas. These factors have collectively resulted in hundreds of deaths from water-related incidents in recent years. Earlier in July, a wooden boat carrying students from state examinations went down in the country’s Kasai province, killing at least 20 people.
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