Congo River: At least 30 dead in collision between two overloaded boats in Équateur province

At least thirty people have died and dozens more are missing following a collision between two boats on the Congo River on the evening of Sunday, October 4, 2026, in the Équateur province in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The tragedy occurred in the Ngombe-Lukolela sector, according to Al Jazeera, which cited provincial authorities.

The two boats were traveling in opposite directions. According to Al Jazeera, a metal vessel named "Dieu se cache" (God Hides) had departed from Kinshasa, while a wooden boat, the "HB Super Victoire," was traveling down from Businga. The APA agency, for its part, indicates that one of the boats was traveling from the Oubangui region to Kinshasa, while the other was en route from Kinshasa to Lukolela. Both sources agree on one point: the boats were overloaded.

"Almost all passengers trapped underwater"

Crispin Mputu, the provincial Minister of the Interior for Équateur, stated that "almost all the passengers" on board were trapped underwater and that the boat sank, according to reports by Al Jazeera. He specified that some victims had already been buried and that the boat that departed from Kinshasa was overloaded with cargo. A security officer who witnessed the scene confirmed this overloading to the Associated Press.

The provincial official also pointed to a recurring cause: many accidents occur because boats navigate at night. Search efforts were ongoing to locate the missing at the time of the initial reports, according to APA.

A river that serves as a national highway

In a country where the road network remains very limited, the Congo River and its tributaries provide the primary means of transport for people and goods between Kinshasa and the northwestern provinces. The "baleinières" (river boats) transport passengers, food, and fuel, often well beyond their capacity, and travel at night to save time. APA notes that accidents are frequent on Congolese waterways, largely due to overloading and sometimes difficult navigation conditions.

Beyond the grim toll, there are families in Équateur waiting on the riverbanks. The safety of river transport—controlling cargo loads, effectively banning nighttime navigation, providing life jackets, and ensuring rescue resources are available—is a fundamental right: the right to travel without risking one's life. The death toll remains provisional.