Floods leave 45 dead, thousands homeless in Dr Congo

Days of flooding rains have left parts of central Kinshasa in ruins. At least 45 people have died in the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and more than 5,000 have been made homeless according to the local Red Cross. Heavy rains began on January 3 and continued through to Sunday, sweeping through homes, collapsing walls and causing landslides through many parts of the city. The flooding is expected to exacerbate an ongoing cholera outbreak - the worst seen in DRC in 20 years, the World Health Organization (WHO) says. The disease has killed at least 1,190 people and spread to 24 of the country’s 26 provinces since it broke out in July. About 55,000 cases have been recorded.