At least 19 people have died following heavy flooding in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after intense early morning rains submerged large parts of the sprawling city on Saturday.
Thierry Kabuya, the provincial interior minister, confirmed the provisional death toll, saying that 17 people died in Ngaliema and two in Lemba. In addition, more than 500 homes were reported flooded in the district of Matete. The downpour also triggered landslides, causing significant damage.
Kinshasa, home to nearly 17 million people, often suffers deadly consequences during the rainy season due to poor infrastructure. Drainage systems across the city are frequently clogged with rubbish, especially in impoverished areas where many residents live in makeshift shelters along unpaved roads.
Photos and videos shared online showed water gushing through streets and homes, with residents struggling to wade through waist-deep floods.
This is not the first fatal episode this year. Torrential rains in April claimed the lives of around 30 people in the city. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 7 million people across West and Central Africa have been affected by extreme weather and flooding in 2024 alone.
Despite repeated disasters, efforts to improve Kinshasa’s drainage infrastructure remain insufficient, leaving millions vulnerable to further climate-related catastrophes.
