Torrential rains triggering landslides on Tuesday, December 26, killed at least 22 people and caused massive damage in central Democratic Republic of Congo, regional authorities said.

More than 15 houses were swept away in the landslides caused by the downpours overnight and into Tuesday in Kananga, the capital of the Kasai-Central region, according to the press service of the regional governor.

Among the victims was a woman and her eight children who died in one house, while a father and four children were killed in another, it said.

On Sunday around 20 people were swept away when a river flooded in the South Kivu region in the east of the country.

Frequent heavy rainfall

Flooding caused by heavy rainfall is frequent in parts of Congo, especially in remote areas. In May, more than 400 people died in floods and landslides brought on by torrential overnight rains in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province.

DR Congo is a vast country roughly the size of continental Western Europe. Rich in minerals, it is one of Africa's poorest nations, with dilapidated infrastructure and often shoddy construction.