At least one person was killed due to the torrential rains that hit Rubavu, a mountainous district in northwestern Rwanda, a senior local administrative official in the region confirmed Saturday to APA in Kigali.
The executive secretary of Jenda sector that was mostly affected in Rubavu district, Fred Munyansengo explained that week-long downpours that triggered floods have also toppled dozens of houses and damaged large hectares of crops.
Rwanda Meteorological Agency has forecast even heavier rain between November and December this year. Rainfall in excess of 300 mm is predicted in several parts especially in North and Western parts of the country.
At least 70 people were killed while 177 were injured by natural disasters triggered by heavy rains across Rwanda between January and September last year, according to data released by Rwanda’s Ministry of Emergency Management.
The heavy rains also destroyed 113 houses, 49 hectares of agricultural fields and infrastructure such as roads and water treatment plants.
For the past three weeks, about 6,000 Rwandan households residing in high-risk zones and wetlands in different parts of Rwanda were evacuated and relocated to safe areas.
CU/abj/APA