Published on 29/12/2023
Bukavu, located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, witnessed a tragic toll of at least 15 lives lost between Tuesday and Wednesday due to heavy rains, as reported by local authorities and hospital sources.
The inclement weather wreaked havoc across various neighborhoods in the capital of South Kivu, home to approximately two million residents. The consequences included landslides, structural collapses, and the overflow of a river.
An anonymous source from the provincial hospital confirmed to media that they had received 15 bodies from different areas of the city. However, Joseph Mugisho Zihalirwa, the spokesperson for Bukavu town hall, stated that the toll was higher with at least “19 people dead and five injured” in the Kadutu commune. Tragically, this figure included 11 members of the same family who were swept away by the flooded waters of the Kawa River.
In the Ibanda commune, a house’s wall collapsed onto a church during prayer claiming the lives of five worshipers, according to Pastor Albert Migabo Nyagaza, a local leader. Additionally, three individuals were swept away by the raging waters.
Mao Ishikitilo, the administrator of the Mwenga territory south of Bukavu, mentioned approximately twenty deaths due to the rains in his area providing no further details.
Yvonne Mukombi, a resident of Kadutu, expressed her distress stating that “several people are still under the rubble” following the collapse of their homes. She urgently called for digging tools to aid in ongoing rescue efforts.
The national water company reported damage to a pipe, resulting in a significant portion of the city being without water. This recent tragedy adds to the toll, as landslides claimed at least 15 lives in two Bukavu neighborhoods on the night of December 10 to 11.
The city, characterized by steep slopes and haphazard urbanization, has witnessed several dozen fatalities this year due to fires and landslides triggered by heavy rains. Tragically, the impact extended beyond Bukavu, as on Tuesday, Kananga in the central part of the country experienced at least 22 casualties and the destruction of more than 15 houses due to rain-induced landslides.
