Over 100 Dead as Torrential Floods Devastate Eastern DR Congo Villages

Severe overnight flooding has claimed the lives of more than 100 people in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), local authorities confirmed, as the country continues to grapple with ongoing conflict and widespread displacement.

The deadly floods struck Kasaba village in South Kivu province between Thursday night and Friday morning after heavy rainfall caused the Kasaba River to overflow. According to regional official Bernard Akili, the fast-moving floodwaters swept away everything in their path—including massive rocks, trees, and mud—flattening homes situated along the lakeshore.

“The majority of the victims were either children or elderly,” Akili reported, noting that 28 people were injured and around 150 houses were destroyed.

Sammy Kalonji, the region’s administrator, put the death toll at a minimum of 104 and described the destruction as “immense.”

Theophile Walulika Muzaliwa, South Kivu’s provincial health minister, told the Associated Press that relief efforts have been severely hindered due to damaged infrastructure and disrupted communication networks caused by the flooding.

Local officials, including village and sector leaders, have been mobilized to assist, but so far, the Red Cross remains the only humanitarian organization present on the ground. One resident estimated that at least 119 bodies had been recovered by Saturday.

Flooding is a recurrent disaster in DR Congo, particularly in areas near the Great Lakes where deforestation has left hillsides vulnerable. In 2023, similar floods in communities around Lake Kivu killed about 400 people. Just last month, 33 people died in flood-related incidents in the capital, Kinshasa.

The catastrophe comes amid a broader crisis in eastern DR Congo, where armed conflict has displaced thousands. In January, violence escalated significantly when the M23 rebel group, allegedly backed by Rwanda, launched a surprise offensive and seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu province.

Source: Aljazeera

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Africa Flood Disaster