Forty-four killed in Kinshasa floods

Kinshasa.  Floods and mudslides killed 44 people in shantytowns in the Democratic Republic of Congo's capital Kinshasa, the third largest metropolis in Africa, an official said on Friday. "We have a final toll of 44 deaths," said provincial minister for health and social affairs, Dominique Weloli. An earlier toll put the number of dead at 37.

Three-quarters of homes in Kinshasa are slums which have no access to sanitation or electricity, according to Corneille Kanene, former head of UN-Habitat.

Torrential rains and landslides overnight Wednesday destroyed flimsy homes, many perched on hillsides.

Kinshasa, which is home to 10 million people, is the third largest city in Africa after Cairo and Lagos.

The population has surged over the years and many residents live in homes built with flimsy materials. (AFP)