More than 100 killed in Eastern Congo flooding
The floodwaters hit the village of Kasaba during a particularly fragile period for the country.
At least 100 people have lost their lives due to severe flooding in a village located near Lake Tanganyika in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a local official.
The floodwaters hit the village of Kasaba during a particularly fragile period for the country.
Since the beginning of the year, M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, have escalated their offensive in the eastern region, leading to thousands of casualties in the first two months of the conflict.
Samy Kalodji, the administrator of Fizi territory in South Kivu province, where the village is situated, stated on Saturday that reports from the region suggested that the death toll had surpassed 100.
The area affected by the flooding remains under the control of Kinshasa and has not been taken by the M23 group.
Didier Luganywa, the spokesperson for the South Kivu government, stated that the disaster occurred between Thursday night and Friday when heavy rains and strong winds caused the Kasaba river to overflow.
The report confirmed 62 deaths and 30 injuries.
Local authorities mentioned that Kasaba is only reachable by Lake Tanganyika and lacks mobile phone network coverage, which may hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
