Local Red Cross volunteers attempt to extract a corpse from the rubble of a house destroyed by a landslide in the village of Bushushu in Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on June 9, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

KINSHASA - At least 20 people were killed in a landslide caused by heavy rains Sunday in the province of South Kivu, located in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local media reported Monday, citing local sources.

According to Promesse Mazambi, a local civil society coordinator, at least 20 deaths have been reported in the village of Kalingi, in the territory of Mwenga. The torrential rains also caused considerable property damage.

In May 2023, in the Kalehe territory of the South Kivu province, at least 438 bodies were found in areas hit by flooding caused by heavy rains. Local authorities also estimate that more than 5,000 people went missing.

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Floods and landslides are common in the DRC during the rainy season, which runs from September to May, and often have devastating impacts.