Over 20 feared dead in DR Congo boat tragedy

An investigation has since been launched to identify the probable cause of the capsizing.

DR Congo has often been criticised for its poor passenger vessel safety record.

"As usual, the DRC was the worst performer [in terms of passenger vessel safety in 2025] even though it did improve from 950 known fatalities from 11 accidents in 2024 to 807 fatalities from six accidents last year," Dr Neil Baird, passenger vessel safety advocate and Baird Maritime co-founder, wrote earlier this year.

Dr Baird earlier noted that data on passenger vessel incidents in DR Congo are, "notoriously unreliable."

Baird Maritime tracks global passenger vessel accidents in its comprehensive database, which can be accessed here.