Latest news with #Kinshasa
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Reuters
Collapse at coltan mine in eastern Congo kills 12, sources say
KINSHASA, June 20 (Reuters) - A collapse at the Rubaya coltan mine in North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, has killed at least 12 people, a mining source and a civil society source said on Friday. The sources said that dozens more escaped from the artisinal mine when it collapsed on Thursday. The reasons for the collapse were not immediately clear. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels seized control over the mine last year.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Climate
- Reuters
Death toll rises in Congo Lake Tumba accident as search for survivors goes on
KINSHASA, June 16 (Reuters) - The death toll has risen to at least 45 after three motorized canoes capsized in Democratic Republic of Congo's Lake Tumba last Wednesday, a local official said, as the search for survivors continued. Lake Commissioner Gabriel Ifulu Bongolomba said some 45 people were killed in the accident, while others were believed missing. The search for survivors was under way with Red Cross help, he added, with 100 people or so confirmed alive so far. "Some survivors were afraid to come forward, fearing they might be arrested for using an unauthorized navigation route not controlled by the state," said Bongolomba. The interior ministry said 48 people were reported dead. Bongolomba said it was unclear exactly how many people were aboard because the three boats had departed from an unauthorized port. A commission of transport inspectors is now in Bikoro to investigate the accident, he said. A civil society group said after the accident that some 200 people were aboard the vessels and they were overloaded. Vice Prime Minister Jacquemain Shabani said in a statement on Sunday that bad weather had caused the accident. Reuters could not independently confirm details about the overloading of the vessels. Deadly shipwrecks are frequent in Congo, where infrastructure challenges and lax safety standards exacerbate risks for waterway passengers.
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
Congo death toll hits 77 after extreme weather brings floods and sinks boats, 107 remain missing
KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Authorities in Congo said the death toll following devastating floods and separate boat accidents has reached 77, with more than 100 people missing. A total of 48 bodies have been recovered in the northwestern Equateur province where three boats sank on Lake Tumba during extreme weather last Wednesday, with 107 passengers remain missing, the Ministry of Interior said. Almost 50 people were rescued, it said. Separately, 29 people are confirmed to have died after heavy rains at the weekend triggered floods and landslides in the capital city Kinshasa, cutting off some parts of the city and submerging many houses, the ministry said in a statement late Sunday. Residents told how walls collapsed and houses were submerged following the rains in the capital. 'It was around 3 a.m. when we heard a loud noise. When we went outside, the neighbors' wall had collapsed. The man and his wife both died,' resident Clovis Kalenga had said. Rebuilding work was underway in Kinshasa to repair damaged structures in affected communes, including a bridge, local media reports said. The ministry said a government delegation has been deployed to help coordinate humanitarian response in the Equateur province. The government was also working on strengthening its disaster prevention plan and resilience efforts in communities, it said.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
DR Congo flooding: Heavy rains in dry season in Kinshasa kill at least 29
At least 29 people have been killed in flood waters and landslides in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, Kinshasa, following unusually heavy rains in the dry season, the interior ministry has said. Homes were swept away, roads were flooded, and widespread power cuts were recorded as a third of the city was affected by the downpour. DR Congo's meteorological agency Mettelsat said that 90mm (3.5in) of rain was recorded on Saturday morning - higher than that of the rainy season that lasts from November through to say the heavy rains are being fuelled by climate change. The consequences are devastating because of a lack of urban planning and proper drainage. Kinshasa sits on the Congo river, which is one of the longest in the world and stretches across the residents of the capital live in poorly built homes, or near areas prone to flooding, as its population grows with an influx of people from other parts of the country. Kinshasa's population is estimated to be nearing18 million - an increase of more than 4% from 2024, according to Macrotrends. Interior Minister Shabani Lukoo chaired a crisis meeting to coordinate the government's flood response, the interior ministry said in a statement. The government extended its condolences to bereaved families, and would cover the funeral expenses of the 29 people who died, it added. More than 100 people died in flash floods in eastern DR Congo's South Kivu region in May, and more than 30 in Kinshasa in April. More BBC stories on DR Congo: Rare antelope captured on camera as experts say under 100 exist'I risked drowning to flee conscription by Congolese rebels'The evidence that shows Rwanda is backing rebels in DR Congo Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
The Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald
'Defence budget cuts crippling SANDF': Motshekga
'South African soldiers are very strong soldiers who are trained and committed to peacekeeping and peace support operations in the region and outside the region. That's why we sacrifice ourselves for that.' . Sangweni said no equipment would be left behind in the mission area. 'However, there will be equipment that is damaged in the mission area. It always happens. And they are moved, whether it is destroyed in the mission area or taken away.' . SAMIDRC was sent to assist Kinshasa's fight against rebel groups in DRC's war-ravaged eastern borderlands in December 2023. The 16-member Sadc said in mid-March it had terminated the mandate and would begin a phased withdrawal of its force from the DRC. According to the SANDF, their withdrawal was informed by the directive issued by the Sadc extraordinary summit of heads of state and government meeting held on March 13. The bodies of 14 SANDF soldiers killed when M23 rebels captured the key city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, were returned to South Africa in February. Earlier this year, scores of SANDF soldiers were wounded in clashes between the M23 rebel forces and DRC government troops. About 200 soldiers returned in February from the DRC. TimesLIVE
