NORTHERN PROVINCE

GICUMBI — Heavy rains coupled with strong wind and hailstones killed four people and injured others in the three Sectors of Gicumbi district on Friday.

The disastrous incident that happened at night in Ruvune, Mutete and Nyamiyaga Sectors, also destroyed crop fields and houses- leaving scores of people homeless.

In the Ruvune Sector, the rains resulted in the death three children identified as Muhawenimana aged 6, Murazimana, 5 and Habiyaremye aged 4 years.

Their parents, Simon Ngaragiye and his wife Sahinkuye said the house collapsed on them while they were asleep. 

The couple was admitted at Byumba Hospital with injuries on Saturday.

"We have nowhere to go now because our house and crops are completely destroyed by the heavy floods,” said Ngaragiye.

Jean Bosco Muvunyi, the Executive Secretary for Ruvune Sector, said the heavy rains destroyed 15 houses valued at Rwf45 million and destroyed 20 hectares of crop fields whose value is estimated at Rwf20 million.

He said the houses which were destroyed were constructed on steep slopes and near wetlands, and therefore were prone to destruction during heavy rains.

"We have taken measures to relocate all residents residing along steep slopes and near wetlands to community settlements, which are safe from such natural hazards,” said Muvunyi.

In the Mute Sector, the rains triggered landslides that buried a Fuso truck which was moving along the road killing the truck’s turn boy only identified as Habamenshi. But the driver survived unhurt.

In Nyamiyaga Sector, Kabera village, a child aged four, only identified as Ubahananiye, was injured when their house was destroyed.

The child was also admitted at Byumba Hospital with a broken arm.

District authorities, Police and RDF soldiers visited the affected Sectors to provide urgent humanitarian aid to the victims.

Safari Nkurunziza, the district official in charge of disaster preparedness, said the district has released funds to help the victims in each of the affected Sectors.

"The District needs 900 iron sheets to roof houses blown off by the heavy rain, equipments to construct terraces to control soil erosion such as hoes, spades and wheelbarrows, all valued at Rwf8 million,” said  Nkurunziza.

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