Landslide in northwest Congo kills at least 17 people after torrential rain

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Authorities in northwestern Congo say torrential rain has caused a landslide that killed at least 17 people overnight. They warned Sunday that the toll could still rise as rescuers sift through rubble beneath collapsed homes. The disaster took place along the Congo River in the town of Lisal in northwestern Mongala province, according to Matthieu Mole, president of the civil society organization Forces Vives. The victims lived in homes that were built at the foot of a mountain. Gov. Cesar Limbaya Mbangisa said machinery was desperately needed to try to save any survivors. The governor also decreed three days of morning throughout the province.