Heavy rain, landslides kill more than 100 in Rwanda
More than 100 people were killed by flooding and landslides triggered by heavy rains in western and northern Rwanda, authorities announced on Wednesday.
It rained Tuesday overnight in several parts of western and northern Rwanda, Marie Solange Kayisire, the minister for emergency management said.
“At least 109 people have so far been confirmed dead, including 95 in the Western Province and 14 in the Northern Province.”
The rain also destroyed houses and crops.
Kayisire said relief efforts were ongoing to provide temporary shelter to those rendered homeless.
She said the rain also caused landslides, badly hitting the districts of Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro, and Karongi in western Rwanda.
The rain also triggered flooding in western Rwanda after River Sebeya burst its banks, Geoginah Mutabazi, a resident of Rubavu said.
Some of the victims died after their houses collapsed, she said.
The Rwanda Meteorological Agency on Tuesday forecast beyond-average rains and extreme weather-related events in some parts of the country during the first 10 days of May.
More than 60 people were killed and 158 injured by climate change-induced disasters in Rwanda from January to April 20 this year, official data showed.
