Congo floods: death toll touches 400 mark

The death toll from floods and landslides triggered by heavy rain in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to nearly 400, an official said on Sunday.

At least 394 bodies have been recovered after last week's floods, said Thomas Bakenga, administrator of Kalehe territory where the affected villages are located.

He had announced a toll of at least 203 people on Saturday.

In all, several villages were submerged, many houses washed away, and fields devastated when rivers in the region burst their banks due to the heavy rains.

Heavy rainfall in the Kalehe region of South Kivu province on Thursday caused rivers to overflow, triggering landslides that engulfed the villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi.

The hillside also gave way at Nyamukubi, where the weekly market was held on Thursday, Bakenga has previously said.