The tragic sinking of a large Burundian boat from Tanzania, bound for Kalemie in the province of Tanganyika in the Democratic Republic of Congo, left four people missing and one dead. The rupture of a propeller shaft coupled to the gearbox was the cause of this tragedy which occurred on the night of June 15 to 16. The ship was carrying fuel for an economic operator in the Greater Katanga region, with 15 crew members and 2 passengers on board, including the economic operator himself. According to the maritime commissioner of the port of Kalundu in Uvira in South Kivu, never such a case had occurred on Lake Tanganyika following a technical incident. Help arrived from Zambia thanks to another Burundian boat. The search for the missing is continuing at this time.
This sad event reminds us of the need to ensure the safety of transport boats in the DRC, particularly on lakes and rivers, in order to prevent such shipwrecks, which often cost the lives of innocent people. The competent authorities must ensure that these vessels are regularly inspected to prevent any risk of accident, while the operators themselves must ensure the condition of their boats to avoid disasters such as the one we have just experienced.