Seven health workers died after strong winds capsized their boat on Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania on Friday, officials said.
The team was travelling to the village of Kagunga near the Tanzania–Burundi border to provide medical care when the vessel sank.
Fourteen others survived and were receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, while rescue teams continued searching for two missing passengers.
In a separate tragedy, a fisherman was killed and two others injured when lightning struck their canoe on the same lake.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her “heartfelt condolences” to the families of those who lost their lives in the accidents.
East Africa has faced severe storms in recent days, with at least 80 people killed in floods and landslides in southern Ethiopia.
Flooding in Kenya has claimed more than 60 lives, as relentless rains continue to devastate the region’s communities and infrastructure.
Authorities warned that dangerous weather persists, urging residents to stay alert and avoid travel across lakes and rivers during storms.
The twin tragedies on Lake Tanganyika highlight the growing risks faced by health workers and fishermen amid extreme weather in the region.
Rescue operations continue under challenging conditions, as teams strive to recover the missing and provide urgent aid to those affected.