Clean-up teams began their work in several districts in this capital, where 15 million people live, the vast majority of them in precarious huts hastily built near elevations where landslides have occurred, according to official media reports.

The most significant case is that of residents near the Makele Bridge where dozens of people are trying to save their precarious possessions while mourning the loss of their beloved ones.

In addition to the torrential downpours, the weakness of the sewage system prevented the evacuation of water released by the Makelele lagoon, which overflowed after several days of heavy rains.

The combination of overpopulation and poor infrastructure proved lethal for this city, located on the banks of the Congo River, the ninth longest river in the world, with 4,700 kilometers.

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