Theo Kasi, the governor of the South Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has reported that over 400 people have died due to the floods that hit two villages last week.
The disaster was triggered by heavy rains that caused rivers to overflow and landslides to occur.
The villages of Bushushu and Nyamukubi in Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, were the hardest hit.
Local civil society sources have reported that more bodies are still being recovered, adding to the already high death toll.
The UN’s humanitarian agency, OCHA, has confirmed that over 270 people have died, while over 300 others are still missing.
Climate change has been blamed for increasing the intensity and frequency of Africa’s rains, leading to more frequent natural disasters like floods and landslides.