Kinshasa: A tragic incident in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has claimed the lives of over 100 people following severe flooding in the village of Kasaba, situated near the shores of Lake Tanganyika.
The catastrophe occurred amid ongoing conflict in the region, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have escalated their offensive since the beginning of the year.
Samy Kalodji, the administrator of Fizi territory in South Kivu province—where Kasaba is located—confirmed late Saturday that preliminary reports suggested the death toll had exceeded 100. Despite the turmoil in the region, the affected area remains under the control of the central government in Kinshasa and is not within the territories seized by M23 fighters.
Didier Luganywa, spokesperson for the South Kivu provincial government, issued a statement explaining that the disaster struck between Thursday night and Friday. Intense rains accompanied by strong winds caused the Kasaba River to overflow, resulting in widespread destruction.
According to Luganywa, the official count stood at 62 confirmed fatalities and 30 individuals injured. However, the full scale of the disaster remains uncertain due to the village’s remote location, which is only accessible by Lake Tanganyika and lacks mobile phone connectivity—factors that could further delay humanitarian assistance.
