- Heavy rains cause severe flooding in Kinshasa, DR Congo, resulting in around 30 deaths
- Ndjili River burst its banks, submerging main roads and leaving motorists stranded overnight
- Many neighborhoods faced power outages and water shortages
Heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least 30 people and destroying homes and roads. Provincial Health Minister Patricien Gongo confirmed the death toll on Sunday, though he emphasized that it was “provisional.” The majority of fatalities occurred when walls collapsed due to the deluge. The Ndjili River, which runs through the densely populated city of nearly 17 million, overflowed on Friday night, submerging the main national road. Many motorists were trapped for hours, with some spending the entire night in their cars.
Patricia Mikonga, a local resident, shared her experience with Reuters: “On the way home from the airport last night to welcome a friend, we spent the night in the car because there was no safe place to park.”
The flooding caused power outages in many areas and led to water shortages. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki assured residents that water supply would be restored within days, despite damage to the city’s water infrastructure. He also attributed some of the deaths to illegal housing and warned that people living in unregulated settlements could face eviction.
Hydrologist Raphael Tshimanga Muamba pointed out that human activity has worsened the river’s capacity to handle floods, with urbanization contributing to the degradation of the river’s natural flood management.
This devastating flooding comes amid growing instability in the country, with ongoing conflict in the eastern regions. Attacks by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have intensified since the beginning of the year, leading to over 7,000 deaths and millions of displaced people in recent months.
