Latest news with #PatriciaMikonga
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Around 30 dead in Congo capital flooding
Around 30 people have died in flooding in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, the provincial health minister says, as torrential rains over the weekend destroyed homes and roads. "The death toll is provisional, but so far there are around thirty dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi told Reuters on Sunday. The Ndjili River, which runs through part of the city of around 17 million, overflowed its banks on Friday night, blocking the main national road and leaving drivers stranded since Saturday evening. "On the way home from the airport last night to welcome a friend, we spent the night in the car because there was no safe place to park," said Patricia Mikonga, a Kinshasa resident. Several neighbourhoods were left without power. Kerene Yala, a resident of Makala district, said the main problem in the area was the water supply cutoff. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki said the water infrastructure had been affected but that supply would be reinstated within two or three days. In a televised speech, he blamed illegal housing for some of the deaths and threatened to evict people from unplanned settlements. Hydrologist Dr Raphael Tshimanga Muamba said the river had been affected by human activity over time. "These are anthropogenic actions where rivers are degraded; their dimensions no longer represent their initial capacity to contain floods," he told Reuters. The flooding comes at a vulnerable moment for the Central African nation. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have intensified an offensive in the turbulent east of the country since the start of the year, with more than 7000 people killed in the fighting in the first two months of the year.
Al Jazeera
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
Heavy floods in DR Congo's Kinshasa leave dozens dead, destroy homes
Heavy rains have triggered severe flooding from a key river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo capital Kinshasa, killing some 30 people and destroying homes and roads. Provincial Health Minister Patricien Gongo provided the death toll on Sunday but stressed it was 'provisional'. Most of the fatalities in the deluge, he added, were caused by collapsing walls. The Ndjili River, which cuts through the teeming city of nearly 17 million people, burst its banks on Friday night, submerging the main national road. Motorists were left stranded for hours, with some spending the entire night in their cars. 'On the way home from the airport last night to welcome a friend, we spent the night in the car because there was no safe place to park,' Patricia Mikonga, a Kinshasa resident, told Reuters news agency. Many neighbourhoods were plunged into darkness, while others suffered water shortages. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki said water infrastructure had been damaged but assured residents that supply would be restored within days. Speaking on state television, he blamed illegal housing for some of the deaths and warned that people living in unplanned settlements could face eviction. Raphael Tshimanga Muamba, a hydrologist, said human activity had worsened the river's condition over time. 'These are anthropogenic actions where rivers are degraded; their dimensions no longer represent their initial capacity to contain floods,' he told Reuters. The flooding comes as the country faces mounting instability with conflict in the eastern part of the country. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have ramped up attacks there since the start of the year, with more than 7,000 people killed and millions displaced in recent months.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Around 30 dead in Congo capital flooding, authorities say
KINSHASA (Reuters) -Around 30 people have died in flooding in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, the provincial health minister said on Sunday, as torrential rains over the weekend destroyed homes and roads. "The death toll is provisional, but so far there are around thirty dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi told Reuters. The Ndjili River, which runs through part of the city of around 17 million, overflowed its banks on Friday night, blocking the main national road and leaving drivers stranded since Saturday evening. "On the way home from the airport last night to welcome a friend, we spent the night in the car because there was no safe place to park," said Patricia Mikonga, a Kinshasa resident. Several neighbourhoods were left without power. Kerene Yala, a resident of Makala district, said the main problem in the area was the water supply cutoff. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki said the water infrastructure had been affected but that supply would be reinstated within two or three days. In a televised speech, he blamed illegal housing for some of the deaths and threatened to evict people from unplanned settlements. Hydrologist Dr. Raphael Tshimanga Muamba said the river had been affected by human activity over time. "These are anthropogenic actions where rivers are degraded; their dimensions no longer represent their initial capacity to contain floods," he told Reuters. The flooding comes at a vulnerable moment for the Central African nation. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have intensified an offensive in the turbulent east of the country since the start of the year, with more than 7,000 people killed in the fighting in the first two months of the year.
Reuters
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Around 30 dead in Congo capital flooding, authorities say
KINSHASA, April 6 (Reuters) - Around 30 people have died in flooding in Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, the provincial health minister said on Sunday, as torrential rains over the weekend destroyed homes and roads. "The death toll is provisional, but so far there are around thirty dead," Patricien Gongo Abakazi told Reuters. Make sense of the latest ESG trends affecting companies and governments with the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter. Sign up here. The Ndjili River, which runs through part of the city of around 17 million, overflowed its banks on Friday night, blocking the main national road and leaving drivers stranded since Saturday evening. "On the way home from the airport last night to welcome a friend, we spent the night in the car because there was no safe place to park," said Patricia Mikonga, a Kinshasa resident. Several neighbourhoods were left without power. Kerene Yala, a resident of Makala district, said the main problem in the area was the water supply cutoff. Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki said the water infrastructure had been affected but that supply would be reinstated within two or three days. In a televised speech, he blamed illegal housing for some of the deaths and threatened to evict people from unplanned settlements. Hydrologist Dr. Raphael Tshimanga Muamba said the river had been affected by human activity over time. "These are anthropogenic actions where rivers are degraded; their dimensions no longer represent their initial capacity to contain floods," he told Reuters. The flooding comes at a vulnerable moment for the Central African nation. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have intensified an offensive in the turbulent east of the country since the start of the year, with more than 7,000 people killed in the fighting in the first two months of the year.
