DR Congo: At Least 15 killed, several others missing in landslide triggered by heavy rains
TOPSHOT - This aerial photograph taken on May 6, 2023 shows a landslide that engulfed Nyamukubi village, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. - Heavy rainfall in the Kalehe region of South Kivu province on Thursday caused rivers to overflow, causing landslides that engulfed the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi. The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to nearly 400, an official said on Sunday. (Photo by Glody MURHABAZI / AFP) (Photo by GLODY MURHABAZI/AFP via Getty Images)
No fewer than 15 people have died, and as many as 60 others were declared missing following a landslide in southwest DR Congo caused by heavy rains over the weekend.
Seven people were found alive after the landslide on Saturday near the town of Idiofa.
“There’s a hill above the port, and the rain caused the earth on the hill to collapse,” a local deputy elected official, Dhedhe Mupasa, told reporters Sunday.
Interim provincial governor Félicien Kiway informed reporters that a team was dispatched to assist in the search for survivors, and seven individuals were found alive and hospitalized. He reported that another 60 people were still missing.
A local official stated that it was impossible to assess the precise number of missing people because the location was utilized as a marketplace every Saturday.
The official described the place as a harbor where fishermen gathered to sell their catch and buy soap.
According to climate experts, poor urban planning and limited infrastructure in Congo increase people’s vulnerability to heavy rainfall, which is getting increasingly intense and frequent in Africa as temperatures rise.
