DRC rains: 33 killed in torrential Kinshasa downpour

Heavy rainfall and flooding have claimed the lives of at least 33 individuals in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local authorities.

President Félix Tshisekedi assured the victims on Monday that the government would provide support, announcing he had convened an emergency crisis meeting.

In the face of the disaster, residents are desperately attempting to escape the rising waters, using homemade canoes or navigating the floods by wading or swimming to safety.

Kinshasa, a city of 17 million people, is situated along the Congo River, one of the largest rivers in the world, which flows through the country.

Flooding is a recurring issue in Kinshasa, with the Congo River recently reaching its highest level in 60 years.

Certain areas of the capital are particularly vulnerable to soil erosion, and in recent years, President Tshisekedi has emphasized that the climate crisis is intensifying the frequency and severity of floods.

Overnight flooding from Friday to Saturday devastated many homes in West Kinshasa.

Approximately half of the city's 26 districts have been impacted, according to the mayor, who reported that search and rescue operations are underway.

The hardest-hit areas include the outskirts of the city and some of its most impoverished neighborhoods.

"The water has reached 1.5 metres high. We have just managed to save ourselves; the rest are trapped in our homes," Christophe Bola, who lives in the Ndanu area, told the AFP news agency.

Many local residents have expressed frustration with the authorities, accusing them of responding too slowly and failing to provide adequate assistance.

In addition to the devastation, the flooding has caused widespread water shortages throughout Kinshasa, as the city's water treatment plants were also submerged.

The city's main road, which links the center to the international airport, is now impassable, as is part of the motorway that connects Kinshasa to Matadi, the country’s main port.

Deputy President Jacquemain Shabani reported on Sunday that at least one tributary of the Congo River, the N’djili River, has overflowed, trapping numerous residents in the area.

The N’djili River is known to be heavily polluted, with high concentrations of fecal matter and other waste, according to Congolese scientists.

Sewage systems in many parts of Kinshasa are in poor condition, and there is a lack of effective urban planning.

The national meteorological agency has issued warnings for continued heavy rainfall in the coming weeks, particularly in Kinshasa and the eastern city of Goma, which was overtaken by rebel forces earlier this year.

The agency also forecasts intense rains in other parts of the country, especially in the north and northeast.