Floods in Congo Bury Victims While They Sleep

Local authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that ten people died due to a landslide in the Lubero region in the early hours of Wednesday. This increases the death toll from recent floods that have swept through the broader area, taking the lives of hundreds following heavy rainfall. Military official in Lubero, Alan Kiyawa, stated that the heavy rains caused a landslide in a village at the foot of a hill in the Vufi Lake area, resulting in victims being buried while they slept. He added via phone, "The bodies are still under the rubble until now. Rescue workers are working to retrieve them." Additionally, a lack of resources has hampered efforts to recover many bodies that remain buried in Kalehe in the neighboring South Kivu province, where floods swept through two villages last Thursday, submerging buildings with mud and debris. Climate experts from the United Nations noted that poverty and deteriorating infrastructure make these communities more vulnerable to extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, which is becoming more frequent and severe in Africa due to climate change.