Death toll in floods in Democratic Republic of Congo exceeds 400

The Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda have been battling floods and landslides from heavy rain for a week.

It was announced that at least 401 people died in the flood and landslide disaster that occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo last week.

State Governor Theo Ngwabidje Kasi made a statement regarding the disaster in the South Kivu region in the east of the country. Kasi told Reuters that at least 401 people were killed.

At least 176 people were killed and humanitarian teams continued to reach the bodies, the statement said on Friday.

President Felix Tshisekedi said today (Monday) that national mourning has been declared in his country and ministers will be sent to the disaster area to ensure disaster management.

Seasonal rains that cause floods in Democratic Congo are expected to continue until the end of May.

The disaster, which affected the eastern parts of the Democratic Congo, also hit Rwanda. It was reported that at least 131 people died in Rwanda and thousands of homes were destroyed.

United Nations Secretary-General Antoni Guterres issued a message of condolence to both countries on Saturday. In his statement, Guterres emphasized climate change and global warming for the catastrophic rains.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, which has an area of approximately three times that of Turkey, is shown as one of the poorest countries in the world.