A boat carrying football players and other passengers capsized on the Kwa River in Maï-Ndombe province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), leaving at least 25 people dead, including several players who were returning from a match on Monday night.

According to local authorities, at least 30 other people survived the accident. However, the exact number of passengers onboard remains unknown.

The boat reportedly overturned while navigating the river in complete darkness, and poor visibility combined with overcrowding is suspected to have caused the tragedy.

Deadly boat accidents are common in Congo, where rivers serve as a primary mode of transport for millions of people due to limited infrastructure, especially in remote regions. Poor road conditions often force travellers to rely on wooden, overcrowded boats, increasing the risk of fatal accidents.

Local authorities highlighted that enforcing maritime regulations remains a challenge, contributing to frequent overcrowding and unsafe night travel. Despite previous accidents, the lack of proper monitoring continues to put the lives of passengers at risk.

In recent years, hundreds of people have died in similar boat accidents across the country, with overcrowding, unregulated travel, and poor infrastructure consistently being identified as major contributing factors.