Fact check: Viral video of a tragic boat accident not from Goa but from Congo

Several users of X contributed to the spread of the misinformation. A user explained, “An overloaded steamboat met with an accident in Goa today. 40 people were rescued, 64 were missing and 23 bodies were recovered. “The boat owner’s greed led to this accident.” Another user made similar comments, blaming the boat owner for the overloading and attributing the accident to greed.

Reacting to the viral video and the resulting false claims, the Goa Police issued an official statement clarifying the misinformation. In a post on their X-handle on October 5, they wrote, “A video circulating on social media claims that a boat capsized near the coast of Goa. That’s wrong. The incident occurred in Goma, Congo, Africa. Please do not share unconfirmed news.” They confirmed that the video had no relation to Goa or any other event in India and urged the public to avoid spreading such unsubstantiated claims.

The video in question is from a tragic incident in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu on October 3rd. The boat, with about 278 passengers on board, sank while attempting to dock near Kituku Port. Around 78 people died in the accident.

Witnesses at the scene reported seeing the boat visibly overloaded as it approached the dock. Many passengers tried to escape by jumping into the lake, but only a few managed to survive. Purusi noted that the lack of life jackets, overcrowding and lack of adherence to safety protocols contributed significantly to the disaster.

This latest incident highlights the recurring problem of congestion in Congolese water transport. In addition to Thursday’s tragedy, other fatal boating accidents have occurred in the region, including one in June near Kinshasa that killed 80 people, and another in April that killed six and killed 64 on the same Kivu Lake were missing.

Families of the victims and residents gathered at Kituku port, demanding accountability from authorities and accusing them of negligence. Overcrowding on boats is a recurring problem due to insecurity on the roads between Goma and Minova, where fighting between armed forces and M23 rebels has made travel by road dangerous and forced many to rely on sea transport.