The collapse of a high-voltage power cable onto a market in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, resulted in 26 deaths and two serious injuries on Wednesday.
DRC Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde announced the tragedy in a statement, revealing that the victims had been fatally electrocuted after the power cable snapped due to bad weather and fell on a market and housing below.
“I share the immense pain of the families. My thoughts are also with all the injured,” the prime minister said.
The fallen cable killed 24 women and two men, while another two people were seriously injured. The “bad weather” responsible for the tragedy was reportedly lightning, which struck the cable.
Government ministers visited the scene of the accident in an expression of solidarity, and government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya revealed that the authorities had begun the relocation of the affected market.
Muyaya said the accident had “accelerated the process to prevent other tragedies.”
According to Reuters, Congo’s national association of architects said the tragedy could have been avoided and was the result of mistreatment of planning regulations.