At least 129 people have been killed after torrential rain caused flooding in Rwanda.
The number of dead “continues to rise” after flooding and mudslides were caused by heavy rain that started last week, the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency said.
The search for more victims is underway following more extreme weather through the night.
“This could be the highest disaster-induced death toll to be recorded in the country in the shortest period, according to available records from recent years,” the government-backed New Times newspaper reported.
The hilly landscapes of the western and northern provinces of the country and the capital, Kigali, make them vulnerable to landslides during the rainy season.
Even more, rain is expected, according to the Rwanda Meteorology Agency.
It follows the death of three people who, last week, drowned in floods in the remote district of Rukungiri, in Rwanda’s neighbor, Uganda.
In a statement, President Paul Kagame said his government was helping affected people, including with temporary relocations.
Alain Mukurarinda, Rwanda’s deputy government spokesperson, said Wednesday, May 3 fatalities had risen to 129 by 3:30 p.m. local time (01:30 GMT)
“Our main priority now is to reach every house that has been damaged to ensure we can rescue any person who may be trapped,” said François Habitegeko, governor of Rwanda’s Western Province.
From January to April 60 people were killed in weather-related disasters, and around 1,205 houses and 5,000 acres of land across the country were destroyed.
In the past, the government has asked residents in wetland areas to evacuate.
Six other people were killed in Uganda.
Rwanda and Uganda have been experiencing heavy and sustained rains since late March.
Landslides have been reported in other elevated areas of Uganda, like Kasese near the Rwenzori mountains, where deluges and floods destroyed homes and displaced hundreds.
