Floods caused by heavy rains kill at least 109 in Rwanda

Tragedy has struck the north-western region of Rwanda after floods triggered by a heavy hailstorm hit four districts in the region killing at least 109 people.

The victims, including a family of three children and their mother, were killed by landslides and collapsing houses in the steep hills of the area.

Rwanda normally experiences heavy rains and hailstorms between January and April, which often result in the loss of lives, especially those living in high-risk zones.

In Kigali, 27,000 families still reside in high-risk zones, where disaster always looms when it rains.

The deaths from the latest floods bring the toll to 169 the lives lost since January, according to the Ministry of Emergency Management.

Search and rescue

Rwandan authorities have launched a search and rescue operation to locate victims of the floods and assist those affected by the disaster. Emergency facilities have been set up to help those who have lost their homes. Funeral preparations for those who died are underway.

The Minister of Emergency Management Marie Solange Kayisire said on Wednesday morning that the latest floods were as a result of the rains that soaked mountains and that victims were not only families living in high-risk zones given the mountainous nature of the region.

At least 408 disaster cases were recorded in this period. These include 107 windstorm cases, 66 rainstorms, three mine disasters, 77 lightning cases, seven landslides, 13 house collapses, eight hailstorms, 29 floods as well as 98 fires.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency released a weather forecast for May, indicating above-average rainfall ranging between 50mm and 200mm across the country.

The forecast stated that the first 10 days of May 2023 would have a higher amount of rainfall in many parts of the north western region ranging between 175mm and 200mm. Four districts of Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro and Karongi were affected by the heavy rains on the night of May 2.

According to the weather forecast, Rulindo, Gakenke and Gicumbi districts are also likely to see similar amounts of heavy rains in the next few days.

Road crossed

On Wednesday morning, the main road from Kigali, crossing through Rulindo, Gakenke, Musanze and Nyabihu districts to Rubavu, was closed due to landslides.

Rwanda has seen destructive storms over the years.

Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains have cost Rwanda over 600 lives since 2018. Approximately 30,600 houses and over 35,940ha of crops have been destroyed, according to data from the Ministry in charge of Emergency Management.

In neighbouring Uganda near the border with Rwanda, six people died overnight into Wednesday in an area in the southwestern Kisoro district, after heavy rains pounded the mountainous region, according to the Uganda Red Cross.

Emergency excavations

Five of the dead are from one family, and emergency workers have begun excavations to retrieve the bodies, the Red Cross said in a statement

Uganda has also been experiencing heavy and sustained rains since late March and in recent days landslides have been reported in other elevated areas, like Kasese near the Rwenzori mountains, where deluges and floods destroyed homes and displaced hundreds.