Dozens missing after large landslide hits DR Congo

At least 15 people were killed and an estimated 60 remain missing after a large landslide caused by heavy rainfall hit a small port near the town of Idiofa in the Democratic Republic of Congo on April 13, 2024.

The landslide occurred around 12:00 LT in Dibaya Lubwe commune in Kwilu province, sending a cascade of clay and debris down to the banks of the Kasai River, where a boat was docking and people were washing clothes, Reuters reported.

A local official said the affected area is a port and marketplace where fishermen come to sell fish and buy soap, adding that it’s difficult to determine the exact number of missing at the time of the incident.

“There’s a hill above the port, and the rain caused the earth on the hill to collapse,” a local deputy elected official said on April 14.

Interim provincial Gov. Félicien Kiway said a team was dispatched to help search for survivors and seven people were found alive and were hospitalized. A further 60 people were still missing, he said.

Search and rescue operations are in progress.

References:

¹ Congo landslide kills at least 15 people and up to 60 others are missing, officials say – AP – April 14, 2024

² DR Congo landslide kills at least 12, more than 50 still missing – Reuters – April 14, 2024

Featured image: Satellite image of Idofa, Congo on April 3, 2024. Credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers