BUKAVU, Nov. 24 (AGCNewsNet) – At least nine people, including seven children from one family, were killed in a landslide triggered by heavy rain in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo late on Friday, local officials reported on Saturday.

The disaster struck Kabulu village in South Kivu province, where torrential rain caused mud and debris to sweep through homes. Territorial administrator Thomas Bakenga confirmed that one resident lost his wife and seven children in the tragedy.

An additional child was reported dead elsewhere in the area, Bakenga said, warning that the death toll could rise as searches for missing people continued.

A local civil society group reported that seven homes were destroyed and 31 others damaged in the landslide. They placed the death toll at 10, slightly higher than the official count.

Extreme rainfall, exacerbated by climate change, has increased in intensity across Africa, experts say, highlighting vulnerabilities tied to poor urban planning and weak infrastructure in Congo.

In April, heavy rain in southwest Congo caused a ravine to collapse into a river, killing at least 12 people. Similar disasters last December claimed dozens of lives, underscoring the urgent need for improved disaster preparedness and climate-resilient infrastructure in the region.

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