WORLD
Floods amid heavy rainfall kill more than 100 in Rwanda
“This could be the highest disaster-induced death toll in the country in the shortest period, according to available records from recent years,” the government-backed New Times daily stated.
After heavy rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Rwanda’s Western provincial governor Francois Habitegeko told reporters that more victims were being searched for.
Last week’s strong rainstorms caused flooding and mudslides that swept away several houses across the country and blocked some roads.
Rwanda Meteorology Agency forecasts further rain.
The government has relocated residents of wetlands and other risky places.
The western, northern, and capital, Kigali, are steep and prone to landslides during the rainy season.
From January through April 20, weather-related disasters in Rwanda killed 60 people, destroyed 1,205 dwellings, and damaged 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres).
Uganda’s southwest is also experiencing severe rain.
Last week, floods in Rukungiri, Uganda, killed at least three people.