At least 33 people have been confirmed dead following heavy rains that flooded Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), authorities said early Monday. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Security Jacquemain Shabani said the torrential downpour, which occurred overnight from Friday to Saturday, has caused major damage across several districts of the capital, leaving dozens injured and destroying numerous homes. In response, the government has set up a crisis management unit in coordination with the armed forces, several ministries and the Kinshasa provincial government to carry out evacuations and deploy emergency teams. The flooding has paralyzed much of the city's infrastructure, submerging major roads and triggering widespread power and water outages across the city. The Ministry of Transport reported severe disruption to routes to and from the N'djili International Airport, prompting the deployment of emergency ferry services to assist stranded travelers. Meteorologists forecast continued heavy rainfall in the coming days, raising fears of further destruction in the city of 17 million people. DR Congo's rainy season typically runs from November through May.
