The floods which killed nearly 120 people, according to a provisional report, also caused very heavy material damage, in particular the collapse of a section of the national road 1. This road makes it possible to supply the capital with foodstuffs as well as than other imported products arriving in Matadi, the country’s main seaport. Its collapse therefore slows down the transport of goods.
With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
At the entrance of the city, dozens of large trailers and stationary buses line the road to the edge of a ravine. Traders stuck with their goods, foodstuffs and agricultural products, try to sell them off because they are already recording losses.
David, who transports a ton of pineapples, sells his products at low prices. ” We had no choice but to unload the goods, otherwise we will lose everything, he says. We are selling almost at a loss. A pineapple of 3,000 FCFA sells for 1,000 FCFA and that of 1,000 FCFA for 300 FCFA. In any case, I prefer to recover my capital than to lose everything. “.
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“Pedestrians can already pass »
His gaze lost in the void in front of his truck, Ferdinand, in his sixties, is impatient. ” It’s painful for us “, he says. Its cargo consists of frozen products. ” They will be useless within 24 hours. I saw other people throw bags of avocados. Rehabilitation work needs to be accelerated “, he urges.
On the other side of the road, trucks dump large stones into the ravine. What arouse the optimism of the Minister of Public Works, Alexis Gisaro: ” The government is very concerned about this situation. We have put all the means in motion to find a quick solution. With the steady pace of the embankments that are being made by rockfill, from today, pedestrians can already pass “. For large carriers, they will still have to wait. Low-tonnage vehicles could circulate within 48 hours.
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