Kinshasa, April 15 (IANS) Heavy rains and flooding have struck several provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the capital Kinshasa among the hardest hit, the Ministry of Health announced.

According to the latest data, 11 health zones in Kinshasa have been impacted, with more than 5,000 people displaced. At least 72 people have died, and 170 others have been injured due to torrential rains and resulting floods, Xinhua news agency reported.

Tanganyika and South Kivu provinces, in the eastern part of the country, have also reported significant damage, with local authorities working to assess the full extent of the humanitarian needs.

Emergency shelters and care centers have been established in Kinshasa's stadiums. However, with the Stade des Martyrs, the country's biggest sports stadium, already hosting over 4,500 people, authorities have initiated a decongestion plan to transfer displaced residents to other venues.

The health ministry reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening multi-sectoral coordination and ensuring swift, targeted, and coordinated responses to both health and humanitarian emergencies.

Continued heavy rainfall has been forecast for the coming days, raising fears of further destruction in the city of 17 million, already vulnerable due to rapid and unregulated urban expansion.

The DRC's rainy season typically runs from November through May.