Days after flooding in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo claimed the lives of more than 400 people, two newborns have been found floating close to Lake Kivu.
Delphin Birimbi, a prominent member of the village, tells the BBC, "It is a miracle; we were all surprised.
Although their parents have passed away, Mr. Birimbi continues, the community is aware of people who can nurture the children.
The babies' three-day survival in the lake is unknown, although witnesses said they were floating on debris.
One baby was saved on Monday in Bushushu and the other in Nyamukubi, the two communities most severely affected by the flooding that occurred last week, according to Mr. Birimbi.
The Congolese Red Cross issues a warning that the tragedy has resulted in the upsetting sight of dead bodies stacked up and covered in blankets in the communities, and it worries about the stench of rotting carcasses.
On Wednesday, more dead corpses were discovered in the muck, bringing the total to at least 411. 317 of these have been buried. Local leaders claim that it is difficult to identify all the dead since some of them were visiting vendors from surrounding towns who were caught in the rain on a market day rather than village inhabitants.
According to John Kashinzwet, a representative for the Congolese Red Cross, more remains are continually being found in advanced stages of deterioration.
Without a large-capacity mortuary, a safe burial must be carried out swiftly when family members can identify the deceased.
In an earlier interview with the BBC's Newsday program, a representative from the medical organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) described the scope of the catastrophe and stated that the communities were dealing with "a humanitarian crisis."
One of the rescued infants has a severely wounded leg, as a mother can be heard stating in a video posted on Twitter by a local journalist.
According to Mr. Birimbi, "rescue activities are still ongoing" and more than 5,000 people are still unaccounted for.
According to local civil society organizations, 200 flood-related injuries have been reported, 1,300 residential homes have been demolished, and "many schools, health facilities, churches, and water infrastructure were destroyed."
The BBC has already heard from flood victims who claim that their lives have been totally wrecked. Gentille Ndagijimana remarked, "I don't have any more relatives, and I don't have a farm; I have nothing.
Several locals, including Nobel Peace Prize winner and local resident Denis Mukwege, have denounced the interment of flood victims in mass graves.
The authorities, particularly the president and prime minister, have come under fire from Mr. Birimbi for not visiting the flood areas despite Monday being a national day of mourning.
Just days before the flooding that killed over 130 people in nearby Rwanda, torrential rains pounded the area.
The floods, according to UN chief António Guterres, are just another example of how climate change is speeding up.
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