Torrential rains kill at least 22 in DRC's Kasai region

Torrential rains triggering landslides have killed at least 22 people and caused massive damage in central region of Democratic Republic of Congo [DRC], authorities said.

More than 15 houses were swept away in the landslides caused by the downpours overnight and into Tuesday in Kananga, the capital of the Kasai-Central region, according to the press service of the regional governor.

"The commune of Kananga was hardest hit," Governor John Kabeya told the Reuters news agency, adding that the rain had started at 1 am local time [12 am GMT] and continued until 4 pm [3 pm GMT].

Among the victims was a woman and her eight children who died in one house, while a father and four children were killed in another, it said.

The provincial government, in a statement, said it would conduct an investigation to determine the reasons for the material damages.

"Most of these deaths were caused by the collapse of the walls of houses built on unsuitable land," Kananga Mayor Rose Muadi Musube said.

"I am asking the prime minister to come to our aid and for the government to provide us with substantial assistance so that we can bury our dead with dignity," Muadi Musube added.

Frequent disasters

On Sunday, around 20 people were swept away when a river flooded in the South Kivu region in the east of the country.

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall is frequent in parts of DRC, especially in remote areas.

In May, more than 400 people died in floods and landslides brought on by torrential overnight rains in eastern DRC's South Kivu province.

At least 14 people died in eastern DRC in early December after torrential rains battered the city of Bukavu.

DRC is a vast country roughly the size of continental Western Europe.

Rich in minerals, it is one of Africa's poorest nations, with dilapidated infrastructure and often shoddy construction.

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Source: TRT