Floods kill over 120 people, number expected to rise, as waters subside

By | December 14, 2022

Heavy rains often wreck havoc

The authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo say more than 120 people have been killed in the worst floods in years in the capital, Kinshasa.

Most of the dead were in hillside areas which suffered landslides in torrential rain.

One journalist reported seeing the bodies of nine members of the same family whose home had collapsed.

A three-day period of national mourning is beginning on Wednesday.

Correspondents say there has been a big increase in the number of people moving to Kinshasa in recent years and the city suffers from inadequate drainage and poor urban planning.

A view of the collapsed road due to the landslide after heavy rain cause flood in Kinsasha

The damage left a third of the city with no water and electricity, according to authorities. Most of the dead were in hillside areas which suffered landslides

Kinshasa has about 15 million inhabitants and is one of the most densely populated capitals in Africa.

Prime Minister Sama Lukonde visited the affected neighbourhoods on Tuesday together with the city's Governor Gentiny Ngobila.

The governor said the provincial government will pay all the funeral expenses for the deceased.

Source: BBC 

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