Torrential rains kill scores in Rwanda
May 7, 2020
At least 65 people in Rwanda died in floods and landslides caused by torrential overnight rains, reported its Emergency Management Ministry on Thursday.
The Gakenke district in the country's Northern Province was the hardest-hit area with 22 deaths, the ministry tweeted.
At least 91 homes, as well as many bridges and roads, were destroyed.
The East African nation is currently in its rainy season. In recent weeks, the country has experienced major downpours that have caused landslides and led to the deaths of more than 100 people.
Climate change is thought to be impacting the country, with the UN saying its weather is becoming "more and more unpredictable." In the past, the Rwandan government has urged people to move to less disaster-prone areas.
Death toll expected to rise
Rains began on Wednesday evening and continued into Thursday. Search operations were underway to rescue those buried in their homes or by mudslides, according to a statement released by the Emergency Management Ministry.
Nyabihu District in Rwanda's Western Province reported the next-highest death toll from the rainfall after Gakenke, with a total of 18 deaths.
"We expect the death toll to rise because we are still searching for people," said Deogratius Nzamwita, the mayor of Gakenke district.
The government was assessing the damage in order to help the victims and repair infrastructure. It urged people to leave "risk areas" as meteorologists in Rwanda predict that the heavier-than-usual rains will continue.
Read more: Rwanda: Green village helps farmers adapt to flooding
Caused by climate change?
The country's former-Environment Minister Vincent Biruta warned at the country's Third National Urban Forum in 2019 that climate change would increase the occurrence of natural disasters, including floods and landslides.
Rwanda is not the only country in the region badly affected by seasonal rains. In neighboring Kenya, floods and landslides have killed nearly 200 people and displaced 100,000, its government said on Wednesday.
The torrential rain adds is additional hardship for Rwanda as it battles the novel coronavirus pandemic.
kmm/sms (AP, Reuters, dpa)