Heavy rainfall sparked devastating landslides across the central Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, tragically claiming the lives of at least 22 people and causing widespread damage.
The downpours, lasting from overnight Monday to Tuesday, unleashed mudslides that wreaked havoc in Kananga, the capital of the Kasai-Central region.
Regional authorities reported heartbreaking losses, with families caught in the path of the rampaging earth.
A mother and her eight children perished in one collapsed home, while another landslide claimed the lives of a father and four young children.
This tragedy comes on the heels of another fatal flooding incident on Sunday in the eastern South Kivu region, where roughly 20 people were swept away by a surging river.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, while possessing vast mineral wealth, remains one of Africa’s most impoverished nations. Weak infrastructure and inadequate construction practices often amplify the vulnerability of communities in the face of natural disasters.
