RUBAVU – A boat carrying 48 Congolese nationals capsized on Lake Kivu last weekend, killing at least three people, authorities said yesterday.

A marine regiment of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) recovered three bodies and rescued two of the 16 people who were reported missing.

Those rescued were admitted at Gisenyi Hospital while the dead were handed to Congolese authorities.

"We wish to extend our sincere appreciation to the RDF’s  Marine unit  who has  helped in this rescue mission .We hope that such cooperation will continue as we are known to be  sharing  the same lake as a resource,” Rogers Rashid Tumbula, the Goma Mayor said at the shores of the Lake Kivu.

While visiting those admitted at the hospital, Tumbula, said the search for the missing people was still ongoing.

At least 32 people have been rescued so far. "Our friends of Rwanda have accepted to continue helping us in the search. We thank them for the support,” he said.

Speaking to The New Times, Jean Luc Kabwana, 28, who survived miraculously after swimming for two days using a sack of charcoal as a ‘lifejacket’, said the accident was caused by heavy storm.

"We were coming from Kishake in Minova to Kituku in Goma town when the accident occurred. I managed to swim to reach the Rwandan side after rescuing others who were safely evacuated to Goma,” Kabwana said.

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