The viral video of boat capsizing is not from Goa, but Congo

A video of the multi-deck vessel capsized went viral on social media, with the claim that the tragic incident occurred in Goa.

The caption of the post states, “Goa accident today 23 bodies recovered 40 people rescued and 64 missing. Greed of the boat owner in overloading, over confidence of travellers too. Very sad, tragic”.

During our investigation, we discovered that the footage depicts the boat accident that occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa and has nothing to do with Goa. 

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Fact Check-

We started our investigation by running a reverse image search on Google with one of the key frames of the viral video. The results led us to a similar video uploaded by the Associated Press on 4 October 2024 with the headline, “Video shows moment boat sinks in eastern Congo, killing at least 78.” The description part states, “Footage filmed by a witness shows the moment an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 78 people.”.

Moving forward, we found several news reports regarding the incident. According to The Guardian report,  “At least 78 people have drowned and many more are missing after a boat carrying 278 passengers capsized near Lake Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 3 October 2024. The boat, MV Merdy, was about to dock at the port of Kituku, near Goma, after crossing the lake from Minova. There are 278 people were on board the boat, which was built to carry only 80 people. The route across Lake Kivu has become overcrowded due to fighting between government forces and M23 rebels, making roads dangerous or impassable. 

Shipwrecks have become increasingly common on Lake Kivu in recent years. In 2019, more than 150 people drowned when a wooden boat capsized on its way from Kalehe in South Kivu to Goma. The authorities said they were also investigating a boat capsizing last month on the River Kwango, which killed at least four people with more than 40 others missing”.

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Upon further search, we found the clarification of Goa Police regarding the viral video on their official Twitter handle on 5 October 2024 stating that the video is false. The post states ” Official Clarification: A video circulating on social media claims a boat capsized near Goa’s shores. This is false. The incident occurred in Goma, Congo, Africa. Please refrain from sharing unverified news”.

So, taking account of these evidences, we can understand that the viral claim is false. The video is from recent accident from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu on October 3. 

Conclusion-Fact Crescendo found the claim made along with the viral video to be False.  The incident actually occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa. The boat, carrying around 278 passengers, sank as it attempted to dock near the port of Kituku. Around 78 people died in the accident.