Democratic Republic of the Congo
Flooding, Landslides Kill Over 400 In Democratic Republic Of Congo’s Kahele Region
Flooding and landslides due to heavy rains have killed nearly 400 people in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an administrative official said on Sunday, reported France 24.
On Thursday, heavy rainfall in the Kalehe region of DRC’s South Kivu province led to the overflowing of the rivers, causing landslides that engulfed the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi.
On Sunday, Thomas Bakenga, administrator of Kalehe territory, said at least 394 bodies have been recovered after last week’s floods. He had announced a toll of at least 203 people due to flooding on Saturday.
He said 142 bodies were discovered at Bushushu, 132 at Nyamukubi and 120 bodies had been found floating on Lake Kivu.
“Since Thursday we’ve been finding bodies every minute and we are burying them,” Bakenga said.
At the end of Friday’s council of ministers, the DRC government declared a day of national mourning on Monday. It also announced a government mission has been sent to support the provincial government in managing this disaster.
On Saturday, Congolese doctor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, whose clinic is located in South Kivu’s Bukavu region, said he had sent a team of surgeons, anesthetists, and technicians to the flooding-affected area to provide the population with emergency medical aid.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has also sent an emergency team to the affected areas.
The disaster comes just two days after at least 131 people were killed in floods in neighboring Rwanda.
The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also offered his condolences to the victims of the catastrophic flooding in DR Congo and Rwanda.
During his visit to Burundi, Guterres said the flooding is an illustration of rapid climate change and its disastrous impact on countries that have not contributed to global warming.
According to weather experts, climate change has led to extreme weather events with increased frequency and intensity across the globe.
