At least 10 dead in flooding in Texas; Floods in DR Congo capital kill at least 19

At least 10 dead in flooding in Texas; Floods in DR Congo capital kill at least 19
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) June 14, 2025
Flooding from heavy rains in the southern US state of Texas led to at least 10 deaths, officials reported Friday, with several additional people reported missing.

Intense downpours hit Thursday morning in the city of San Antonio, Texas, causing flash flooding on roads which pushed vehicles off the streets into a nearby creek bed, according to local broadcaster KENS5.

The station reported the San Antonio Fire Department was searching for at least four additional victims.

City officials reported the death toll had reached 10 fatalities by Friday afternoon.

"Our hearts are with the families of those we've lost to this week's flash floods and the families who continue searching for their loved ones," San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a post on X.

"I want to personally thank our San Antonio first responders and their families for their sacrifices toward the recovery efforts."

City officials said first responders had conducted to over 70 water rescues and 16 high water investigations since the flooding began.

Scientists have long warned that climate change driven by man-made fossil fuel emissions is increasing the likelihood, intensity and length of extreme weather events such as torrential rains.

Floods in DR Congo capital kill at least 19: minister
Kinshasa (AFP) June 14, 2025 - Floods driven by torrential rain in the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo have killed at least 19 people on Saturday, a provincial minister said.

The heavy downpour early in the morning quickly submerged several neighbourhoods of the metropolis of some 17 million people, according to images shared by residents on social media.

"This evening we have a provisional toll of 19 dead: 17 in the commune of Ngaliema and two in Lemba and more than 500 homes flooded in the commune of Matete," Kinshasa province interior minister Thierry Kabuya told AFP, reporting "major material damage due to landslides".

Flooding frequently proves deadly in Kinshasa, which sits on the banks of the Congo River, Africa's second-largest, after the Nile.

Poor maintenance and inadequate sewerage systems have left drainage pipes blocked by rubbish in many poorer neighbourhoods.

Those living in makeshift shacks and quarters with unpaved streets are especially at risk.

Heavy downpours in April killed around 30 people in the capital.

Some 6.9 million people in west and central Africa were affected by torrential rains and severe flooding in 2024, according to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).