By Ebi Kesiena
A landslide has claimed the life of at least eight people and seriously injured nine others near an artisanal mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said on Saturday.
According to the administrator of Fizi territory in South Kivu Province, Aime Kawaya Mutipula, the wounded are in a critical condition and receiving treatment at a local health facility.
“Landslides are relatively common in the hilly slopes of eastern Congo where heavy rains can saturate and loosen soil.” Mutipula said.
But they are more likely to occur if soil has been disturbed by mining, tree-felling or construction.
In December, intense rains in Congo’s capital Kinshasa caused flooding and landslides that killed around 170 people.
