Over 100 dead after flooding in eastern Congo 

Heavy flooding following torrential rains in eastern Congo washed away several villages along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, leaving over 10 dead, authorities said Saturday.

Witnesses described the floods surging at around 5 a.m. local time on Friday and sweeping away the village of Kasaba on the edge of the lake in the Ngandja sector.

Samy Kalodji, administrator of Fizi territory in South Kivu province where the village is located, said late on Saturday that reports from the area “indicated more than 100 deaths.” 

The affected area is still under the administration of Kinshasa and is not among the zones taken by M23.

Didier Luganywa, spokesperson for the South Kivu government, said in a statement the flooding incident occurred between Thursday night and Friday when torrential rains and strong winds caused the Kasaba river to overflow its banks.

The statement gave a toll of 62 confirmed deaths with 30 injured.

Source: Agencies