Lightning kills student as floods destroy 12 homes

NYABIHU - Nyabihu has become one of the most disaster prone districts. On Thursday, the district was again hit by floods which destroyed 12 houses and left 27 others submerged. The heavy evening downpour was also characterized by lightning that struck one student dead, leaving 16 others critically injured. “This area is prone to lightning because whenever it rains we experience grave cases of this nature. We call upon the government to institute a team to study the causes and come up with a solution,” said Abdul Latiff Twahirwa, the district Mayor. The districts of Rubavu and Nyabihu experience heavy rains around this time of the year and the devastation they cause are mostly due to poor drainage systems. The students who were struck by lightning were admitted at Nyabihu clinic but the critically ill were transferred to Kabaya hospital. Strabag, a German construction company that constructed Musanze-Rubavu road, channelled the drainage system into the residential areas, which worsens the crisis. “The ministry of disaster preparedness has been notified and we expect their intervention any time from now,” added Twahirwa. Last month, in the same district, three students were killed by lightning while several others were admitted in hospitals. In Rubavu, over 50 houses were washed away last month after heavy rain. Ends