At least 12 people were killed and more than 50 are still missing after heavy rains caused a ravine to collapse into a river in southwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official and civil society leader said on Sunday.
The landslide occurred on Saturday at noon in Dibaya Lubwe district in Kwilu province.
It sent mud and debris to the banks of the Kasai River, where a boat was anchored and people were washing clothes.
Acting governor Felicien Kiway said 12 bodies have been recovered from the rubble so far, including nine women, three men and a baby.
“Approximately 50 people are missing but we continue to search the soil,” he said and added that the possibility of finding survivors was low since the incident happened 12 hours before.
The organizer of the local civil society, Arsene Kasiama, said the falls also fell on people who were buying products in the market.
He gave the death toll at 11, with seven seriously injured survivors and more than 60 people still missing.
Poor urban planning and poor infrastructure across Congo make communities more vulnerable to heavy rains, which are becoming heavier and more frequent in Africa due to warmer temperatures, according to climate experts.
