At least 13 people have been confirmed dead after a landslide struck the village of Burutsi in the Walikale territory of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, with authorities warning that more than 30 people are still unaccounted for as search efforts continue.
The disaster, triggered by intense overnight rainfall, buried homes and cut off critical road links including the main route between Goma and the provincial capital Walikale, complicating rescue operations and isolating affected communities. Local officials described how the hillside collapsed into the village around 1 a.m., catching many residents while they were asleep.
So far rescue teams and residents have recovered the bodies of 13 victims, including several children, but ongoing rain and unstable terrain are complicating efforts to find survivors or retrieve the missing. Heavy rain-related landslides are a recurring hazard in the region, particularly during peak rainy periods, and this latest event has intensified humanitarian concerns in an area already grappling with conflict, displacement and food insecurity.
Local authorities and community volunteers are leading search and recovery operations, but the collapse of the road network complicates access for emergency services and aid agencies. Officials have appealed for external assistance to help manage the crisis and provide support to families of the victims.
This tragedy adds to the litany of disasters in eastern Congo, a region affected by armed conflict with multiple rebel factions, including the M23 movement and further strains efforts to protect civilian populations amid overlapping environmental and security challenges.
