20 people have been confirmed dead as a landslide occurred on Sunday in eastern Congo.
Lt. Colonel Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko announced in a statement that the landslide took place in Bolowa village, in Masisi territory.
It was said by a civil society leader in the territory, Voltaire Batundi, that about 25 mothers, along with their children, were doing their laundry, as well as washing dishes, in a stream at the foot of a mountain when the landslide happened, burying some of them in the process.
So far, the bodies of 8 women and 13 children have been pulled out of the rubble, with 20 of them confirmed dead, and 1 survivor, who has been taken to the hospital. In his statement, Lt. Col. Kaiko said, “As a result of this unfortunate incident, twenty people among our compatriots lost their lives and others are still missing and being searched for.”
A spokesperson for the governor of North Kivu Province, which Masisi is part of, has said that search and rescue efforts are still underway and resumed Monday, as they believe that there are still others trapped in the mud.
This landslide has made it another tragedy for Masisi village, as at least, 100 people died in Bihambwe village, Masisi, due to a landslide in September, last year.
Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi
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