News Desk
KINSHASA: More than 120 people died and dozens others were injured on Tuesday as the worst floods in years battered Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after consistent overnight rainfall, authorities said in a provisional assessment.
The floods cut off a major supply route and left major roads submerged in water for hours.
Government announces three days of national mourning
Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde’s office in a stastatementnounced three days of national mourning beginning from Wednesday.
City police chief General Sylvano Kasongo said that most of the casualties occurred in hillside locations due to landslides, reported AFP.
Located on the Congo River – Kinshasa, a city of 15 million – has seen a huge population influx in recent years with most residents living in shanty houses built on slopes vulnerable to floods. The city also suffers from a faulty drainage and sewerage system.
Climate crisis responsible for floods
DRC’s president Felix Tshisekedi blamed climate change for the recent floods in Kinshasa during a US-Africa summit in Washington on Tuesday.
In a meeting with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Tshisekedi asked for support from nations that he said were responsible for pollution and triggering the harmful consequences (of climate change) in countries lacking the means to protect themselves.
