At least 29 people were killed in floods and landslides in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Ministry of Home Affairs said after unusually heavy rains in the dry season.
Houses were swept away, roads were flooded, and extensive cuts were recorded as one-third of the city was affected by the downpour.
Mettelsat, the Meteorological Agency of the Congo, said 90 mm (3.5 inches) of rain was recorded Saturday morning – higher than any day of the rainy season from November to May.
Experts say climate change is fueling heavy rain. The consequences are devastating due to the lack of urban planning and proper drainage.
Kinshasa is located on the Congo River, one of the longest rivers in the world that extends across the country.
As the population grows, many of the capital’s residents live in building poverty-stricken houses or near flood-prone areas, as large crowds in other parts of the country are influx.
According to Macrotrends, Kinshasa’s population is estimated to be close to 18 million, an increase of more than 4% from 2024.
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo chaired a crisis meeting to coordinate the government’s flood response.
The government added that the government expressed condolences to families who had lost their loved ones and would pay the funeral of the 29 people who died.
In May, more than 100 people died in the southern Kivo area east of the Congo, and more than 30 people died in Kinshasa in April.
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