At least 18 dead after heavy rains in Bukavu, eastern DRC

By

Darell Maurice

At least eighteen people have died following torrential rains in Bukavu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, throughout Friday night and early Saturday morning.

“The heavy rains that fell on Friday (through) to Saturday in the town of Bukavu left at least 18 dead,” stated Evariste Namegabe, mayor of the commune of Ibanda in Bukavu capital of the South Kivu province, where rains of unusual frequency had fallen for several days.

“Of the victims, six belong to the same family. Their house was washed away,” added Mr Namegabe, indicating that “the toll could rise as several wounded were admitted for care in different health centres in the city.”

Mr Namegabe expressed concern that other bodies are still trapped under the rubble. Witnesses claim to have seen at least one house and several vehicles carried by rainwater .

According to Mr Namegabe “Six houses were completely destroyed and a main road was made impassable because of a landslide.”

An official at the cadastre of Ibanda said that “the main reason for this catastrophe (relates to) the uncontrolled construction because nearly all the houses were built on sites undeveloped by the authorities.”

Bukavu, a border town with Rwanda, faces as many cities of the DRC to a multiplication of constructions without an urbanization plan .

In Kinshasa, the DRC capital further west, torrential rain killed 31 people in three weeks.

Darell Maurice

Darell Maurice is a Journalist based in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital city Kinshasa and works for Canal7kintv. He also blogs here.