Thousands Missing After Congo Flood

REPUBLIC OF CONGO – The death toll from flooding in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is creeping higher as aid workers found more bodies among the muddy devastation and wounded residents succumbed to their injuries in an under-equipped local clinic.

The floods, in a remote, mountainous area ripped through riverside villages five days ago, razing houses, destroying crops and killing more than 400 people, the deadliest natural disaster in Congo’s recent history.

The Red Cross believes that over 8,000 people are in need of assistance. Aid efforts have been hobbled by a lack of access and resources.

More than 5,500 people are still unaccounted for.