Floods in a Central Province in Congo Kill at Least 22 People

At least 22 people, including 10 members of the same family, were killed by flooding in central Congo caused by torrential rains on Tuesday, according to a local official.

As search and rescue operations for survivors grew, Kasai Central province’s governor, John Kabeya, said that numerous houses and other structures had been demolished by the hours-long downpour in the Kananga district.

In addition to the 17 deaths that were first reported, five more deaths were verified later on Tuesday, he said.

“The collapse of a wall caused 10 deaths, all members of the same family in Bikuku,” said Kabeya. There was significant material damage caused by the floods, according to Nathalie Kambala, country director of The Hand in Hand for Integral Development non-governmental organization.

There is a lot of flooding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in the more isolated regions. In May, the South Kivu area of eastern Congo saw floods and landslides that claimed over 400 lives due to heavy overnight rains.

The Higher Institute of Technology of Kananga, a church, and a major road that was shut off were among the buildings damaged in the most recent flooding, according to Kabeya. He also stated that the national government will be contacted immediately to request immediate intervention.

In eastern Congo, heavy rains late on Sunday caused a landslide that left at least 20 people missing and at least four dead.