DR Congo floods kill over 120 in Kinshasa

Kinshasa: More than 120 people have been killed while dozens were injured following torrential rain induced floods and landslides in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa.

Following the intense rainfall, main roads and entire neighborhoods were flooded with muddy water.

The death toll was compiled by the General Management of Migration on Tuesday evening, which was first estimated to be at least 55 and later jumped to 120.

The death toll is expected to rise further, said authorities.  

Health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda told the media agency that they had calculated 141 killed but the number needed to be cross-checked with other departments.

In the meantime, the Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde’s office has announced national mourning period for three days.

The government officials were visiting the flooded areas, and the local administrators were expected to meet representatives of the interior ministry and other state bodies to address the emergency.

Kinshasa suffers from inadequate drainage and sewerage as it is located on the River Congo and has seen a huge population influx in recent years— with 15 million people now living there.

Many dwellings are shanty houses built on flood-prone slopes.

In 2019, at least 39 people were killed in Kinshasa when heavy rains flooded low-lying areas collapsing some buildings and roads.