DR Congo president meets angry crowds as he tours flood-ravaged capital

DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday met angry residents who lost their homes in flash weekend floods in the capital Kinshasa that have killed at least 33 people.

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 in the overcrowded city, with an estimated population of some 17 million.

‘Lord protect you’

"Dad, you left your children in the street," a resident told Tshisekedi, who along with his wife Denise Nyakeru visited some 600 people sheltering in a stadium transformed into an emergency shelter.

"They call you a man of concrete but you're not helping your people," a resident told him, referring to his nickname in French.

The Democratic Republic of Congo leader also faced questions regarding the shambolic infrastructure and sanitation in the megapolis.

"Stay healthy and may the Lord protect you," Tshisekedi said, ringed by members of the Republican Guard, before he left the stadium.

Traffic resuming

At least 33 people died in the latest floods and around 50 were hospitalised, according to the interior ministry.

About 5,000 families have been affected, Health Minister Samuel-Roger Kamba told a news conference.

On Monday, the waters that the day before had submerged the main road leading to the airport, were receding with traffic slowly resuming.