RT
Congolese Red Cross volunteers carry a body from the mud of a person who died during heavy flooding in Bushushu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,on May 8, 2023. © Guerchom Ndebo / AFP
At least 410 people have been confirmed dead and more than 5,000 others remain unaccounted for after the flooding and landslide disaster that struck the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s South Kivu province last week, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.
The floods, which started as torrential rain on May 4 to 5, reportedly swept through the riverside villages of Nyamukubi and Bushushu, wiping out buildings along with fields of crops and livestock, leaving thousands of people homeless.
Ulrich Crepin Namfeibona, the emergency coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in South Kivu, described the situation as “dire” and said that some areas have become unrecognizable.
“In Nyamukubi, almost half of the village was destroyed. Due to flood damage, the main road between Nyamukubi and Kalehe can no longer be used, hampering the arrival of humanitarian aid,” Namfeibona said.
Local authorities told the media on Tuesday that the death toll is still rising as efforts to rescue residents and recover bodies continue.
“We’re not able to deal with this many bodies as urgently as needed. We’re searching for bodies with spades, with hands,” John Kashinzwe Kibekenge, spokesperson for the Red Cross in South Kivu province, told Reuters.
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