At least 37 dead after floods hit Kinshasa, DR Congo

According to Congolese authorities, at least 37 people died overnight Thursday, January 4, 2018, after heavy rain caused floods and landslides that swept through shanty homes in capital Kinshasa.

Many of the dead lived in Ngaliema, a poor hillside community that was hit particularly hard, and Selembao, the provincial minister for health and social affairs said.

"There has been not only flooding but also landslips, and several houses have collapsed," he said.

Heavy rain that hit the country last month caused the Kalamu river in Boma, some 470 km (292 miles) SW of Kinshasa, to burst its banks. The floods that followed killed 50 people and left 10 000 homeless.

Some of the bodies were found in neighboring Angola, some 35 km (21 miles) away from the city.

Teo Blašković

I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.

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