Crowds gather where a highway was washed away in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Torrential rains, flooding and landslides since Monday have killed more than 120 people. Photo courtesy of Government of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dec. 14 (UPI) — Floods and landslides in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo have killed more than 120 people following torrential rains that have destroyed buildings and roads.
The capital city of Kinshasa was inundated with muddy water on Monday and Tuesday, as landslides broke apart N1 highway, cutting off the city from the sea port of Matad.
The prime minister’s office warned the highway could be closed for as long as four days as the major chasm that remained, surrounded by onlookers, was shown in images posted by Congo’s government spokesman Patrick Muyaya.
Ministry of Health officials reported a total of more than 140 deaths throughout the city from the flooding, while Congolese Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde said in a statement that at least 120 people died.
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Martin Fayulu tweeted video of the destruction on Wednesday and offered condolences for the victims.
“This morning’s torrential rain in Kinshasa, a city of anarchic constructions, caused our uncleaned rivers and our clogged gutters to overflow, unfortunately taking the lives of a hundred of our compatriots,” Fayulu wrote. “Sincere condolences to all the families of the victims.”
La pluie diluvienne de ce matin à Kinshasa, ville des constructions anarchiques, a fait déborder nos rivières non-curées et nos canniveaux bouchés, emportant malheureusement les vies d’une centaine de nos compatriotes. Sincères condoléances à toutes les familles des victimes. pic.twitter.com/Y0kDyZjsWy— Martin Fayulu (@MartinFayulu) December 13, 2022
The president has declared a three-day period of national mourning and has promised that the government will cover funeral costs for the deceased.
Kinshasa, the third largest city in Africa, which sits on the southern bank of the Congo River, has become increasingly vulnerable to flash floods due to rapid urbanization.
In a statement on Tuesday, Governor of Kinshasa Ngobilia Mbaka stressed the need to respect planning rules banning illegal construction in drainage areas and riverbeds. He also urged everyone to keep rivers and drainage areas free from trash and debris.
Kinshasa has been hit by deadly flooding in the past, including in 2015 when at least 31 people died in the city’s low-lying districts.