At least 120 people have been killed and dozens injured in widespread floods and landslides caused by torrential rain in Kinshasa the capital city of Democratic Republic of Congo. Entire neighbourhoods were flooded with muddy water, and houses and roads ripped apart by sinkholes and landslides, including the N1 highway that connects Kinshasa to the country’s main sea port of Matadi. Many of those who died were in hillside areas which suffered landslides.
The government has announced a three-day period of national mourning.
The death toll was compiled by the General Management of Migration, a part of the interior ministry.
Health minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda told the Reuters was agency that the ministry had counted 141 dead but that the number needed to be cross-checked with other departments.
Millions of Kinshasa residents were affected by the torrential rain which is described as the worst floods in years.
Kinshasa is located on the River Congo and has witnessed a massive population influx in recent years, with 15 million now loving there.
Many dwellings are shanty houses built on flood-prone slopes, and the city suffers from inadequate drainage and sewerage.
