Heavy rains kill one, destroy property

RUBAVU- At least one person died from flooding after heavy rains on Saturday in Rubavu district, with several houses destroyed, an official said yesterday. The deceased, only identified as Niyomukiza, 3, was swept by floods that followed heavy rains and water released from River Sebeya which flows through Ngororero and Rutsiro districts.Also destroyed were several hectares of crops especially tea plantations, which could have an effect on food security in the area.Niyomukiza was reportedly not at home when the heavy downpour muddled up with intense storms got underway, parents said.Over 20 houses had been confirmed destroyed with many others partially affected as rescue and assessment exercises commenced on Sunday.The affected areas were Nyundo and Kanama sectors, where two schools were flooded, prompting school administrators to close indefinitely.Government officials from the ministries of Disaster Management, Health, Local Government and Natural Resources are currently on ground to assess the extent of the damage caused by these torrential floods.During an abrupt meeting, Minister Stanislas Kamanzi of Natural Resources said they had recruited experts to carry out a comprehensive study and come up with suggestions on how to avoid such disasters in the future.“It has been noticed that some previous recommendations were not effectively executed in ensuring that this problem never happens again. That’s why this new team of experts has been put in place,” Kamanzi said.He asserted that there was negligence in identifying the outlets of this river which normally causes flooding when annual agricultural rainy seasons begin.This follows similar incidents six months ago, where similar floods left close to ten people dead and about 170 homes destroyed in the same area. Over 400 people were rendered homeless as heavy downpours pounded then.Antoine Ruvebana, the Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee affairs said the government would provide relief to the affected families as it tries to come up with long term solutions.“We are trying to find foodstuffs and other relevant relief services as we embark on a renovation exercise of the houses for those who were affected,” Ruvebana told residents during yesterday’s field visit.He said the flood victims would be compensated and helped in constructing new homes with the assistance of humanitarian organisations like the Red Cross and other developmental partners.Rubavu District Mayor Sheik Hassan Bahame said a communal exercise is scheduled tomorrow to help the affected communities avert the current situation.

National

Heavy rains kill one, destroy property