Dozens die after Kinshasa torrential rain hammers

The rains and torrential floods killed at least 33 people in Kinshasa – the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo – according to officials.

The desperate residents try to flee flood waters by wading, swimming or wading safely in homemade canoes.

The city is Reception at 17 million peopleAnd is on the Congo river, which is one of the largest in the world and extends across the country.

The floods are common – the river recently reached its highest level in six decades.

Certain parts of the capital are subject to soil erosion and in recent years, the Congolese president has warned that the climate crisis aggravates floods.

Many houses in West Kinshasa were swept after a flood from Friday from Friday to Saturday.

According to the mayor of the capital, about half of the 26 districts of the city are affected in total, according to the mayor of the capital.

The worst affected are the periphery of the city as well as in some of its poorest districts.

“The water has reached 1.5 meters high. We just managed to save ourselves, the rest is trapped in our homes,” said Christophe Bola who lives in the Ndanu region at the AFP news agency.

Other local residents told journalists that they were angry with the authorities, accusing them of being too slow to react and not to send enough help.

The floods also left people in a large part of Kinshasa struggling with water shortages, after the water treatment pumps in the city were themselves flooded.

The busiest road in the city, which links the center to the international airport, is impracticable, as is part of the highway which connects the capital to the main port of the country, Matadi.

At least one tributary leading the Congo river – the N’Djili river – broke out its banks, trapping many residents, said Vice -President Jacquemain Shabani on Sunday.

It is said that it is one of the most polluted rivers that Congolese scientists say contain high levels of fecal matter and other waste.

Wastewater maintenance is mediocre in many areas of Kinshasa, and there is little evidence of city planning.

Last year, the government announced its intention to tackle this longtime problem.

Heavy showers should also affect the north and northeast of Dr Congo in the coming days.