At least 20 people have been killed and others are still missing following a deadly landslide in Bolowa village in Masisi territory in eastern Congo.
The tragedy struck on Sunday while approximately 25 mothers with their children were washing clothes in a stream at the foot of a mountain.
According to local administrator Alphonse Mushesha Mihingano, some of them were buried under the landslide. Lt. Col. Guillaume Ndjike Kaiko announced the incident in a statement, saying, “As a result of this unfortunate incident, twenty people among our compatriots lost their lives and others are still missing and being searched for.”
Landslides in this region are not common, though other parts of the area have experienced them in the past. Eastern Congo has been ravaged by violence due to more than 120 armed groups fighting for power, land, and natural resources.
However, some groups are fighting to protect their communities. Last September, about 100 people died in Bihambwe village in Masisi territory due to a landslide.
