Floods and landslides after heavy rains have killed more than 170 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A provincial government official described the scale of the destruction as “indescribable”.
More than 170 people have died in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as a result of torrential rains and floods.
“About 176 have been killed,” said the governor of South Kivu province, Theo Ngwabegi, during a visit to the affected area. The number is temporary. “We also have about 100 missing.”
“huge, Indescribable” Devastation
The deputy governor of the region said that several villages in the Calais region, west of Lake Kivu, were flooded when rivers burst their banks after heavy rains. He added that the floods swept away hundreds of homes and “surprised sellers and their customers in the markets.”
Thomas Bucking, a provincial government official, estimated that more than 100 people died. He described the scale of the destruction as “unimaginably colossal.”
MP Vital Mohini of Calais told a local radio station that the floods had caused “devastating human and material damage”. He reported about 150 deaths and many missing. 72 people died in the village of Shabundo, 31 in the village of Boshongo and 45 in the village of Nyamukobe.
A storm in Rwanda a few days ago
A member of the rescue team deployed on Friday afternoon said 68 bodies had been found. The search for the missing persons continues.
Just a few days ago, 127 people perished after torrential rains in neighboring Rwanda on the other side of Lake Kivu. Heavy rains during the rainy season in Central Africa regularly lead to floods and landslides.
