4 dead including pregnant woman as heavy rain pounds eastern DR Congo

By Rodrigue Forku

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AA) – Heavy rainfall Monday in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) claimed at least four lives, including a pregnant woman, local media reported.

The rain fell in Lwemba, a village located 18 kilometers (11 miles) north of Biakato in Mambasa, Ituri province, the locallinterview.cd website reported.

The victims were at their farms when the rain started, according to the civil society group in the region.

The Convention for the Respect of Human Rights (CRDH) branch in Mambasa confirmed the incident, adding it also caused a lot of material damage.

Kasereka Sivamwenda Gilbert, CRDH’s coordinator, pleaded for assistance in favor of the victims.

Most parts of the DRC and neighboring countries are currently experiencing heavy rainfall.

The Central African country is located along the equator and thus experiences a tropical equatorial climate with high precipitation and tropical thunderstorms.