Heavy rains destroy crops, buildings

NYABIHU/MUSANZE – Heavy rains over the past seven days have destroyed property, crops and also claimed one life. Several classrooms at Nyabirehe Primary School were brought down and bridges in the Virunga area were badly damaged. One 15-year old girl narrowly survived after being swept away by running water.

Friday, January 22, 2010
Part of the destruction by the raging rains. (Photo: B. Mukombozi)

NYABIHU/MUSANZE – Heavy rains over the past seven days have destroyed property, crops and also claimed one life.

Several classrooms at Nyabirehe Primary School were brought down and bridges in the Virunga area were badly damaged.

One 15-year old girl narrowly survived after being swept away by running water.

Local authorities reported said that more than 10 houses were brought down in Gataraga sector and over 400 hectares of crops were destroyed in the area close to Karisimbi Mountain. 

Nyabirehe Primary School, which has over 1,000 pupils, completely lost three classrooms and 11 others badly damaged.  

In a related development a landslide attributed to the heavy rains engulfed crops within  Byangabo sector, Nyabihu district and Gataraga sector in Musanze.

"We are facing a serious problem, all our crops have been destroyed further still   the bridges which link us with Ruhengeri town, and Byangabo have been broken down meaning that  trucks cannot move  our produces,’’ Tamu Hakuzimana, a cell executive secretary said.

Residents have appealed to the government to come to their rescue and help to provide them with foodstuffs and agriculture products to start a fresh.

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