According to Rwandan officials, the hunt for victims went on Thursday after this week’s torrential rains in the north, west, and south triggered mudslides and catastrophic flooding that killed at least 130 people and destroyed hundreds of homes.
Several victims are likely buried in mud and debris, according to government officials who are surveying the affected areas, so they anticipate the death toll to rise.
Alain Mukuralinda, a deputy government spokesman, told reporters that as of early Thursday, 36 of the at least 77 injured persons were still being treated in hospitals.
Mukuralinda claimed that because the count is still being completed, the government does not yet know how many people the floods and mudslides rendered homeless, but he did confirm that more than 5,000 homes were lost, necessitating the relocation of families.
According to officials, mudslides wrecked numerous roads and bridges, notably in the western provinces. One hospital, two health posts, and five health centers were reportedly destroyed, according to Mukuralinda, who was quoted by the Reuters news agency.
The local Red Cross in neighboring Uganda claims that at least six persons perished on Wednesday when their homes were buried in a mudslide brought on by the rains in a mountainous region of the southwest Kisoro district. According to a local official who spoke to The Associated Press, the calamity was caused by ineffective farming and soil management techniques as well as climate change.
Since late March, there have been frequent, severe downpours in Rwanda and Uganda. The region is expected to receive more rain in the following days, according to the Rwanda Meteorology Agency.
The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France Presse contributed some data to this article.
