At least 30 individuals have lost their lives in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, due to heavy flooding at the weekend, provincial health minister Patricien Gongo Abakazi has said. Heavy rains flooded the Ndjili River, inundating roads and destroying houses throughout the city of almost 17 million people.
The number of deaths remains provisional but to date approximately thirty have been confirmed dead,” Abakazi stated in a release to Reuters.
The flooded river created great inconvenience, blocking major national roads and stranding cars. Patricia Mikonga, a resident of Kinshasa, recalled being stuck in her car throughout the night after trying to make it to the airport to pick up a friend. “There was nowhere safe to park. We just remained in the car all night,” she explained.
A number of city districts were cut off from power, and the water supply was also affected. The residents of Makala district claimed to be completely deprived of clean water, which further escalated the humanitarian crisis.
Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki attested that water infrastructure had been destroyed but reassured citizens that restoration was being carried out and supplies would resume within two to three days. In a TV address, he also blamed some of the deaths on illegal settlements constructed in flood-prone zones and threatened evictions from unplanned settlements.
Hydrologist Dr. Raphael Tshimanga Muamba attributed the cause to long-term degradation of the environment. “These are man-made changes. Rivers lost their natural ability to contain floodwaters because of ongoing degradation,” he said.
The flooding comes on top of Congo’s growing list of challenges. In the nation’s eastern provinces, fighting by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels is again mounting. More than 7,000 individuals have been killed in fighting since the start of the year, putting further pressure on the already stressed resources of the Central African nation.
