More than 400 dead in stormy rains in DR Congo

Death toll from stormy rains that hit the east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to at least 402, local authorities confirmed to EFE on Monday.

Heavy rainfall has caused flash floods, floods and landslides in the Kalehe area, located in South Kivu province.

“We just woke up and started the excavations, which we are carrying out with the support of our friends from the Red Cross and various volunteers,” the man told EFE by phone. Administrator of Kaleh Thomas Bakenga.

“Two bodies have just been recovered, pulled from the rubble and swallowed by the mud, giving us a provisional tally of 402 bodies,” Bakenga said.

According to this local authority, the death toll reached 400 this Sunday afternoon after 42 bodies were found floating in Lake Kivu, on the border with Rwanda.

“We badly need the help of the authorities and the people. This disaster is really serious.”stressed the administrator.

Faced with this tragedy, the Congolese government has designated today Monday as a Day of National Mourning in memory of the victims, some of whom died in the villages of Bushushsu, Nyamukubi and Chavondo, which remain the worst affected by the natural disaster. .

He The President of the DRC, Felix Tshisekedi, Last Friday, via the Twitter social network, he expressed his “heartfelt condolences to the victims of the stormy rains that caused devastating devastation.”

During the night of May 2-3, at least 131 people were also killed by heavy rains in neighboring Rwanda, authorities confirmed.

The type of soil in eastern DRC and Rwanda, highly susceptible to erosion, is easily weakened by factors such as heavy rains, which sometimes leads to such disasters.