At least 65 people died in severe weather in Rwanda
At least 65 people died in Rwanda as a result of severe weather. The local government announced this today. At least 194 people in Kenya have also died from flooding in the past three weeks.
Tonight the heavens opened in several places in the African country, and about 90 houses were destroyed. On Thursday, the rain continued as the rescue services began their actions in search of survivors in the rubble of the collapsed houses or in the mudslides that had formed.
“We expect the death toll to rise as we are still looking for people,” said the mayor of the hard-hit Gakeke, a district in northern Rwanda.
The rainy season is currently underway in Rwanda. Storms have killed more than 100 people since April. Other parts of East Africa also suffer from heavy rainfall.
For example, at least 194 people in Kenya have died from flooding in the past three weeks. More than 100,000 people had to leave their homes.
The information was announced on Wednesday by Kenyan Minister Eugene Wamalwa at a press conference. The minister called on the people living in areas at risk of flooding to move “immediately”, the meteorological department of Kenya (Kenya Met) announced that several regions of the country should prepare for heavy rain between 5 and May 11 with an accumulation which could reach 100 mm. According to the minister, 30 people have died in the past 24 hours due to the floods.
“For those asking where they will go, note that the county commissioners help people to move. We are currently using closed schools as shelters for affected families,” said Wamalwa. And to add: “We have no other option. We will be forced to move people in danger even by force,” warned the minister.
Water levels at Masinga Dam, Kenya’s largest hydroelectric dam, have reached 57.86 meters above sea level, the highest since the construction of the dam.
