Recent floods have left so far 203 people dead in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an administrative official said Saturday, as the authorities recover more bodies from the impacted areas.
 
"Here in Bushushu, 203 bodies have already been removed from the rubble," said Thomas Bakenga, administrator of Kalehe territory, adding that it is yet not possible to estimate the overall damages and the total number of causalities.

Read more: At least 17 killed, 7 injured by floods in Philippines
 
Rivers flooded the Bushushu and Nyamukubi villages of the Kalehe region of South Kivu province on Thursday after the area witnessed heavy rain. Bakenga also noted that the Thursday weekly market in Nyamukubi was hit by a landslide caused by the floods, adding that several villages fully went underwater, and many houses and farming fields were destroyed.

Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege, a Nobel Peace Prize Winner who has a clinic in the Republic's capital Bukavu said on Saturday that he dispatched a team of surgeons, anesthetists, and technicians to the devastated region to "provide the population with emergency medical aid".

Read more: Wave of disease plagues Pakistan following floods
 
Just two days ahead of the natural disaster in the DRC, 131 people lost their lives due to floods as well in neighboring Rwanda, in addition to the destruction of tens of homes.

UN Chief Antonio Guterres offered his condolences to the victims of the "catastrophic floods" in both African countries.

"This is yet another illustration of accelerating climate change and its disastrous impact on countries that have done nothing to contribute to global warming," he said during a visit to Burundi.

Read more: 8 children among 9 killed in attack in east DR Congo