Deadly floods in South Kivu in the DRC: more than 400 dead and thousands of victims
During the night of Thursday to Friday, torrential rains fell on the territory of Kalehe, in the province of South Kivu, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The toll continues to grow with more than 400 victims and thousands of victims.
A delegation from the central government, deployed on the spot, drew up a balance sheet of 401 dead and 201 missing. The number of missing people put forward by the local authorities is disputed by civil society, which reports more than 5,000 missing people.
The floods caused extensive property damage, with homes washed away and road infrastructure damaged.
Relief operations are continuing, with teams of rescuers and soldiers mobilized on site to provide assistance to the victims.
These floods illustrate the region’s vulnerability to extreme weather events and highlight the need to invest in risk prevention and management infrastructure