A government document seen by Reuters on Tuesday showed that at least 120 people were killed in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after torrential rains triggered floods and triggered landslides.
Entire neighborhoods were flooded with muddy water, homes and roads were torn apart by sewage, including the N1 highway that connects Kinshasa to the main seaport of Matadi.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement that N1 may be closed for 3-4 days.
The death toll was collected by the General Directorate of Immigration, which is part of the Ministry of the Interior.
The death toll may rise. Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbongani Mbanda told Reuters the ministry had counted 141 dead but the number needed to be reviewed with other departments, Reuters reports.
“On National Road No. 1 there is a big hole. Only pedestrians can pass. We don’t understand how the water cut off the road,” said Gabriel Mpiculu, a local resident.
Once a fishing village on the banks of the Congo River, Kinshasa has grown into one of the largest megacities in Africa with a population of around 15 million.
At least 39 people died in Kinshasa in 2019 when torrential rains flooded low-lying areas and some buildings and roads collapsed.
EAE