In the drowning, a group of rescuers including the national army and those in the peace mission hastened to rescue, and started searching for the drowned, except that some have not yet been found. Some sources say that there were about 300 people, while Jean Jacques, who is the Governor of South Kivu, said that there were 278 people, as he told the Central Office, but the numbers continued to fluctuate.

The number of dead and survivors shows that 200 people are still unaccounted for, which would mean that more than 200 people have died even though only 34 people were found dead at the time of writing.

An investigation was started to find out the cause of the accident, but those who were in this boat said that it sank due to putting too many people in it because it was designed to carry only between 30 and 50 people, adding that they were not wearing life jackets ((protective gear) (maybe to prevent people from drowning) and that it was overloaded.

The survivors are 58 and although the government says that the dead are 34, the Central Provincial Office said that on the second day there were 78 people found dead and they may have increased because there are others who have not been found and are still being searched for.

Bahati Selemani, who participated in the rescue and is a port worker, told the media: “We saw the boat start to change, it was seen that it was full and there were strong waves. The boat began to tilt slowly, those on top began to fall into the water, the whole boat capsized and sank."

Byamungu, who was in the boat and was saved by swimming and met rescuers in the middle, told DW Newspaper that the water did not have very high waves but he thinks that it sank because it was overloaded. He said: "I saw people drowning, old children, women and men, and I almost drowned, because God was there. It is God who helped me, it is true.”

Mkembale, who used to travel once a week in this boat, said: “We were more than usual. We use to be many but this time it was too much. Hundreds of people in a boat designed to carry fifty was too much.

The boat began to sink, the people shouted, they began to pray asking for one of the heavy loads to be thrown away, the boat continued to approach and shaking and everyone was crying, they continued to pray and the boat continued to sink, in a very short time it sank. I was saved by holding on to the board until rescuers reached me. God had been with us.”

This boat, which had been submerged for four days in Lake Kivu, was found at a depth of 200 meters. The Congolese government continues to publish the figures of 34 dead and 80 injured, but these numbers are lower than other newspapers, which say that the dead are more than a hundred. Jean Jacques, said that more than 80 people died.

The Prime Minister announced that this sinking will have those who are put on their heads. Minister Shaban said: “The first thing to do is to search for the drowned and the rest will come later. The people who were there will be punished." There is now an investigation into those who contributed to its sinking.

This drowning is not the first time that it has happened in the Congo (RDC), because it happens often mainly due to carrying too many things and not wearing protective gear in the event of a drowning or an accident.

In April 2019, there was an accident that killed more than one hundred and fifty people in Kivu near Karehe, so Tchisekedi, who was the last President, immediately visited and offered protective gear and ordered that they will always be wore for each one who is going in the boat, but it was not followed.