KALEHE, Democratic Republic of Congo, 10th May, 2023 (WAM) — The death toll from flooding in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo crept higher on Tuesday as aid workers found more bodies among the muddy devastation and wounded residents succumbed to their injuries in an underequipped local clinic.
More than 5,500 people remain unaccounted for, Reuters quoted local administrator Thomas Bakenga Zirimwabagabo as saying.
The floods, in a remote, mountainous area of South Kivu province, ripped through the riverside villages of Nyamukubi and Bushushu five days ago, razing houses, destroying crops and killing more than 400 people.
It was the deadliest natural disaster in recent Congo history.
Survivor Paul Serushago was still searching for the bodies of two family members on Tuesday, "We've been looking for them since Friday, and we haven't found them yet," he said.
The Red Cross believes that over 8,000 people are in need of assistance. Aid efforts have been hobbled by a lack of access and resources.