Deadly Landslide Affected Southwest Congo, Several Unaccounted for

In the Congo, a landslide has claimed at least 15 lives, and up to 60 more are reported missing.

On Sunday, local authorities in southwest Congo reported that a deadly landslide caused by heavy rainfall had left some 60 people missing and at least 15 people dead.

Seven people who survived the Saturday landslide near the port of the village of Idiofa were found among the rubble.

Reporters were informed by Dhedhe Mupasa, a local deputy elected official, that rain on a hilltop above the port was the reason for the collapse.

Mupasa said to reporters on Sunday, “There’s a hill above the port, and the rain caused the earth on the hill to collapse.”

The province’s acting governor, Félicien Kiway, verified that seven people had been retrieved alive and were being treated. Searches were still being conducted to find survivors. But he also said that over sixty people were still unaccounted for.

A local official described the location as a lively marketplace every Saturday, highlighting the difficulties in analyzing the situation. This place, which is known as a harbor where fishermen exchange items for their catch, made the rescue effort more difficult.