Death Toll From Floods In Eastern DRC Climbs To 51, Dozens Still Missing - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2020) The number of people who were confirmed to have died as a result of floods in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has exceeded 50, media reported on Tuesday, citing local authorities.

Heavy floods, with the epicenter in the town of Uvira in the South Kivu province, began late last week due to strong rainfall. By Monday, the flood had affected close to 80,000 people and killed at least 25, according to the UN Refugee Agency.

"The situation is serious, still very serious still. So far, we have 35 deaths in the town of Uvira. Dozens of people are missing, and several families continue reporting that some of their members have still not been found," Kiza Muhato, the mayor of Uvira, said, as quoted by the Congo Actuel news outlet.

Sixteen more people killed in the Uvira region, according to the regional administrator, Alexis Kasangala, as cited by the outlet.

According to the Uvira mayor, the toll of casualties is likely to grow in the coming days and the final count should not be expected to be determined sooner than in approximately a week.

The official said that seven sites � chiefly schools � were designated to accommodate the affected families in Uvira.

The Okapi radio broadcaster reported, in turn, that the flood had caused some 2,500 houses to go underwater in the neighboring province of Tanganyika.