More than 100 people, many of them children, died in devastating floods that swept through eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, officials confirmed Saturday.
Triggered by torrential rains, the Kasaba River burst its banks overnight, flooding the village of Kasaba in South Kivu province. The waters surged through homes as families slept, dragging with them trees, boulders, and mud.
“The victims who died are mainly children and elderly,” said Bernard Akili, a regional official, adding that 28 others were injured. Around 150 homes were destroyed in the disaster.
Sammy Kalonji, the area’s administrator, confirmed at least 104 deaths and described the material damage as “enormous.” A local resident reported that 119 bodies had been recovered by Saturday.
Situated on the edge of Lake Tanganyika, Kasaba village remains isolated, reachable only by water and lacking internet access. Local aid workers say this isolation is hampering rescue and recovery efforts.
Natural disasters frequently strike eastern DRC, where deforestation has left the surrounding hillsides fragile and prone to collapse. These environmental changes make heavy rains especially destructive.
In 2023, flooding killed 400 people in nearby Lake Kivu communities, underscoring the region’s growing vulnerability to extreme weather events.