About 200 people killed in floods in Congo

Heavy rains in the Kalehe territory of South Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo caused rivers to overflow and flood the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi on Thursday.

People grieve after floods in Nyamukubi village, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo on May 6, 2023. Photo: Reuters

South Kivu Governor Ngwabidje Kasi put the death toll at 176 and said many more were still missing. Kasole Martin, a local civil society member, even said 227 bodies had been found.

On Friday, haggard-looking survivors waited outside a wooden shed, while Red Cross workers in blue uniforms stacked bodies on top of each other.

Robert Masamba, a doctor at Kalehe's main hospital, said wounded survivors had been arriving continuously since Thursday night. "My team and I have been losing sleep. We have received 56 patients, 80% of whom have fractures," he said.

Flooding and landslides are not uncommon in South Kivu, which shares a border with Rwanda. Heavy rains also caused flooding and landslides in Rwanda this week, killing 130 people and destroying more than 5,000 homes.

The last similar incident in Congo occurred in October 2014, when heavy rains destroyed more than 700 homes. More than 130 people were reported missing at the time, according to the United Nations.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/it-nhat-176-nguoi-thiet-mang-vi-lu-lut-o-chdc-congo-post246708.html