Administrator Thomas Bakenge said the confirmed number of dead stood at 394 but it was a provisional count since the search was continuing
Torrential rains across Kalehe territory began on Thursday evening. Rivers broke their banks, with flash floods sweeping away the majority of buildings in the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi, causing the huge loss of life.
Delphin Birimbi, a civic leader in Kalehe, said he understood that thousands of people remained missing. He told the AP that some doctors arrived to treat the injured but communities were pleading for more emergency assistance.More than 170 victims were buried in four mass graves, Valet Chebujongo, a youth political activist helping in the rescue efforts in Kalehe, said by telephone. “Imagine, you bury them in a mass grave, without a coffin,” Chebujongo said.
The Congolese government declared Monday as a national day of mourning, with flags to fly at half-staff in memory of the victims. A delegation of government officials and lawmakers sent by Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, arrived in Bukavu, a city near the southern part of Lake Kivu and planned to visit the devastated area on Monday, according to a government spokesperson.
Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands in East Africa, including in parts of Uganda and Kenya.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Deaths from Congo floods approach 400 as search continuesThe death toll from floods in eastern Congo has almost doubled, reaching close to 400 people as of Sunday, according to a local official.
Read more »
Over 200 dead, many more missing after Congo floodsThomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst-hit territory, told reporters that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing
Read more »
176 dead, many more missing after Congo floodsThe death toll from flash floods and landslides in eastern Congo has risen to 176, with some 100 people still missing, according to a provisional assessment given by the governor and authorities in the country's South Kivu province.
Read more »
Mage wins Kentucky Derby amid seven deathsMage won the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, capping a rocky stretch in which seven horses died leading up to the world’s most famous race.
Read more »
Churchill Downs carnage: Seven horse deaths in 10 daysThe Kentucky Derby is now over but the carnage continued on the famous race day with the deaths of horses Chloe’s Dream and Freezing Point on Saturday.
Read more »
'A nightmare I can't wake up from': Michigan mom calls for changes after sodium nitrite deaths tied to CanadianA Michigan mom is speaking out after her teenage son died after consuming a product ordered online from a company tied to a Mississauga man facing charges of aiding and abetting suicide,
Read more »