Heavy rains hit several parts across Rwanda including the capital city Kigali and its outskirts late Wednesday evening, blocking roads and destroying infrastructures, local administrative officials confirmed Thursday.
In Kigali city, streams overflowed several marshland areas forcing the Police to close neighborhood roads due to landslides, APA reported here.
The rains also flooded the lower floors of some buildings across Kigali city, but some roads that were briefly closed have been reopened after the measures were taken, the Police said.
Crucial infrastructures such as water points, schools, and latrines have been damaged, according to the same source.
Latest figures from the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA) show that 70 people died countrywide between January and September 2019, due to disasters in Rwanda.
Estimates also show that 177 people were injured during the same period, 4,095 houses were damaged, 6,708 hectares of crops destroyed, while 167 livestock were killed.
In addition, reports indicate that disasters – mainly floods, landslides, and lightning strikes – killed 234 people and injured 268 others.
In 2018, the mountainious East African country lost Rwf 204 billion ($ 224 million) due to disasters, while the value of damages for the year 2017 was estimated at a whopping Rwf 6.7 billion ($ 73 million).
CU/abj/APA