Kinshasa, Apr 7: At least 33 people have been confirmed dead following heavy rains that flooded Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), authorities said on 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 paralysed 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 travellers.

Meteorologists forecast continued heavy rainfall in the coming days, raising fears of further destruction in the city of 17 million people.

The DRC's rainy season typically runs from November through May, Xinhua news agency reported.

Earlier on April 6, Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba said that the death toll remains provisional and may rise as search and rescue efforts continue.

"We are still carrying out evacuations, particularly for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children," Bumba told local media.

With military support, emergency evacuations are underway in several of the worst-affected neighbourhoods, including Mont-Amba, Salongo, and Ndanu.

Major roads were submerged, causing widespread power and water outages across multiple districts.

The flooding comes as the country faces mounting instability with conflict in the eastern part of the country. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have ramped up attacks there since the start of the year, with more than 7,000 people killed and millions displaced in recent months.

Eastern DRC remains a conflict hotspot due to its rich mineral wealth, with many armed groups vying for control of coltan, tin, tantalum and gold.

According to the United Nations, about one million people, including around 400,000 children, have been displaced since late January. The number is expected to rise as hostilities persist in North and South Kivu.

--IANS

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