40 dead in northeast Congo after mudslide hits town

Bunia (Democratic Republic of Congo): Authorities in northeastern Congo say at least 40 people are dead after a mudslide in Ituri province.

Gov. Abdallah Pene Mbaka said on Thursday that teams are being sent to assess the damage in the village of Tora. The disaster followed heavy rains in the fishing community located along Lake Albert.

Jean-Bosco Lalu, who leads civil society groups in the nearby regional hub of Bunia, says 30 bodies have been recovered and the toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.

Many people die each year in Congo as the result of poorly regulated development. People often built their homes near mines and bodies of water, only to become vulnerable to disasters caused by soil erosion and flooding.