Torrential rains in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, killed around 30 people, causing widespread destruction across the sprawling Central African city, a government official told AFP on Sunday.
The downpour, which began overnight from Friday into Saturday, triggered severe flooding in several impoverished suburbs of the metropolis of nearly 17 million people. In some areas, floodwaters rose so high that residents were forced to navigate the streets using canoes.
“There are many wounded who have been evacuated, and for the moment we are in the 30s for the number of dead,” said Patricien Gongo Abakazi, Kinshasa’s provincial minister of public health, speaking to AFP.
According to Abakazi, victims either drowned or were crushed when the walls of their homes collapsed under the force of the water.
The flooding brought much of Kinshasa to a standstill, submerging key roads and halting traffic along National Road 1 — the main highway linking the city centre to the airport.
“At around 2 pm, we suddenly noticed that the water was rising in the plot, and it just kept getting higher. As a precaution, we took the children to flee, as it was difficult to get through,” recounted Orline, a resident of the Masina commune in eastern Kinshasa.
In the Debonhomme neighbourhood, floodwaters swallowed cars and forced residents to swim or use dugout canoes to move through the submerged streets, AFP journalists observed.
Some people became trapped on the upper floors of their homes after water flooded the ground level.
“The water has reached 1.5 metres (five feet) high. We have just managed to save ourselves, the rest is trapped in our homes,” said Christophe Bola, a resident of the Ndanu district in Limete commune.
The flooding worsened Kinshasa’s already notorious traffic congestion, stranding countless vehicles in gridlocked streets.
Many residents expressed frustration over what they described as a slow and insufficient response from local authorities. “The reaction from the authorities has been too late and inadequate,” several locals told AFP.
Neighbouring Kongo-Central province was also affected by the relentless rains.
Flooding is a recurring disaster in Kinshasa, a city perched on the banks of the Congo River — Africa’s second-longest river after the Nile. Poor urban planning, coupled with inadequate drainage infrastructure, has left many neighbourhoods vulnerable, with blocked sewers and piles of garbage worsening the situation.
The risk is especially severe for residents of makeshift settlements and areas with dirt roads, where shoddy construction offers little protection.
In 2022, similar downpours killed at least 120 people in Kinshasa after triggering landslides and flooding.
Much of Central Africa has been battling heavy rains and violent storms since Thursday, with neighbouring countries such as Equatorial Guinea and Gabon also reporting damage. According to aid agencies, around 6.9 million people across West and Central Africa have been affected by severe weather conditions this season.
