40 killed following heavy rains in eastern DR Congo

KINSHASA, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains hit overnight Tuesday Bukavu, capital of South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), causing floods and landslides and killing at least 40 people, local authorities said Wednesday.

At least 20 people were found dead in Bukavu and 20 more were killed in the surrounding village of Burhinyi, according to the provincial governor's office.

Provincial authorities said that rescue teams have been dispatched to the affected areas to search for victims.

Last week, at least 20 people were killed in a landslide caused by torrential rains in the village of Kalingi in Mwenga Territory of South Kivu.

In May 2023, in Kalehe Territory of South Kivu, at least 438 bodies were found in areas hit by flooding caused by heavy rains. Local authorities estimated that more than 5,000 people were missing.

Floods and landslides are common in the DRC during the rainy season, which runs from September to May, and often have devastating impacts.