Catastrophic floods and a series of boat accidents have left at least 77 people dead across the Democratic Republic of Congo, with over 100 more still unaccounted for, according to authorities.
In Equateur province, a triple boat tragedy happened on Lake Tumba last Wednesday during severe weather conditions. The Ministry of Interior reported that 48 bodies have so far been recovered, while 107 passengers remain missing. Nearly 50 individuals were rescued from the wreckage.
At the same time, separate flooding in the capital, Kinshasa, claimed 29 lives over the weekend. Torrential rains led to landslides, submerged homes, and severed road access to several parts of the city, AP reported.
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“It was around 3 a.m. when we heard a loud noise. When we went outside, the neighbors’ wall had collapsed. The man and his wife both died,” recounted local resident Clovis Kalenga, describing the destruction caused by the floodwaters.
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Authorities said response efforts are underway in Kinshasa to stabilize affected communities, with local media reporting that repair work had begun on damaged infrastructure, including a collapsed bridge.
To address the Lake Tumba tragedy, the government has dispatched a delegation to Equateur province to oversee humanitarian efforts and coordinate the emergency response.
In its statement late Sunday, the Ministry of Interior added that it is working to reinforce national disaster prevention strategies and improve resilience planning across vulnerable regions.
READ ALSO: Dozens dead after overloaded boat sinks in Congo’s Lake Tumba following heavy rains
