Flood in Kinshasa: At least 120 people have lost their lives due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. All the houses in the area have been filled with mud water. According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the government may close the N1 highway for 3-4 days. The N1 highway connects Kinshasa to Matadi, the country’s main sea port.
According to Reuters, the death troll may increase further. Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani Mbanda told Reuters the ministry had counted 141 dead, but needed to cross-check the numbers with other departments. Pictures posted on Twitter by Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya show a large road that has sunk into a deep gorge. Local resident Gabriel Mbcolo said, “There is a big pothole on National Road 1. Only pedestrians can pass through.
Kinshasa was once a fishing village on the banks of the Congo River. The population here is 15 million and due to this the city has become one of the largest megacities in Africa.
Poorly controlled rapid urbanization has made the city increasingly vulnerable to flash floods following heavy rains, which have been caused by climate change.
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In 2019, at least 39 people died in Kinshasa. When the low-lying areas were flooded due to torrential rains. Due to which some buildings and roads had collapsed. According to a 2020 World Bank paper, in addition to damaged infrastructure, each day of flooding costs families a combined $1.2 million due to mass transportation disruption.
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