In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), around forty people died and many others are missing after the heavy rains which fell on most of the province of South Kivu, on the night of Tuesday 26 to Wednesday December 27. These caused mudslides in this mountainous region in the east of the country.
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With our correspondent in Bukavu, William Basimike
With 21 deaths according to local authorities, the city of Bukavu is among the places most affected by the floods which affected the province of South Kivu. The authorities point the finger at the anarchic constructions.
Standing in the mud, bare-chested and barefoot, Elias Aganze watches how the bodies of victims are transported to the morgue. He is distraught: “ I lost my niece and her husband. They lived in Karhale. Clods of earth collapsed on their house at night. My niece was about nine months pregnant. Their remains are also in the general hospital morgue. »
Independence Square, covered in mud, was unrecognizable on Wednesday morning following the floods, while searches continued in different neighborhoods throughout the day to try to find survivors. The mayor of Bukavu, Zénon Karumba, toured the city to see the damage:
“ The provisional toll we have at the moment is 21 dead, including 15 bodies in the morgue of the Bukavu general hospital, but there are still some bodies under the rubble that we are trying to get out. I’m not accusing anyone, but it’s the fault of the human person who agrees to build a home under a ravine. »
In rural areas, the chiefdom of Burhinyi, located 80 kilometers southwest of Bukavu, was the most affected with at least 21 deaths, according to the administrator of the Mwenga territory Mao Ishikitilo. Civil society in South Kivu points the finger at anarchic construction under the helpless eye of local authorities. She pleads for the dignified burial of all the victims and the care of the injured.
Read alsoFloods in the DRC: Prime Minister promises more support during visit to South Kivu