DRC: At least 41 dead in MV MJP shipwreck on Lake Tanganyika

At least 41 people have died in the shipwreck of the MV MJP, a boat that was traveling from Kigoma, Tanzania, to Kalemie, the capital of Tanganyika province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The vessel capsized off the coast of Kabimba, near the village of Mapera, during the night of September 23 to 24, 2026. Forty-nine passengers were rescued, according to the toll released on September 25 by the provincial Minister of Transport for Tanganyika, Norris Mulongoyi.

A death toll that rose over two days

The initial count, reported on September 24 by Radio Okapi, indicated 39 missing and 36 survivors, including four children. Search efforts were still ongoing on September 25 to locate missing persons, according to provincial authorities. No official cause has been established at this stage.

A heavy cargo, questions about overloading

According to Radio Okapi, the MV MJP was carrying more than 480 tons of wheat flour and four vehicles, with an announced capacity of 550 tons, in addition to an undetermined number of passengers. A survivor, Annie Moyoni, recounted that travelers were awakened around one in the morning to find the boat tilting to one side. Another survivor emphasized that there was no wind that night, which directs questions toward the cargo and the condition of the ship rather than the weather.

No one knows how many passengers were on board

The most damning point is that the authorities themselves cannot say how many people had boarded. The absence of a reliable passenger manifest on lake routes is a known problem that has been documented for years: without a count, there is no certain death toll, no clearly established responsibility, and no possible compensation for families. It is a matter of dignity as much as safety, and it falls directly under the responsibility of the Congolese and Tanzanian administrations, not fate.

A second tragedy in one month on the same route

The shipwreck occurred less than a month after the fire on the MV Pacifique on August 28, 2026, at the port of Kigoma, which claimed the lives of six crew members and left one person missing, Radio Okapi recalls. Lake Tanganyika is a vital commercial artery between the DRC, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zambia, used every week by thousands of traders and travelers due to the lack of viable road alternatives.

What follows will depend on two things: the outcome of the search efforts and the opening—or lack thereof—of an investigation into the loading and inspection conditions of the MV MJP.