The Governor of Western Province, François Habitegeko has told IGIHE that emergency assistance is being provided as efforts are underway to identify more residents whose houses might have collapsed on them.

“It rained heavily the whole night that Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro and Karongi districts have been seriously affected. We lost a large number of residents and families that we have so far registered 95 deaths not considering injured people, and those whose houses collapsed. We are assessing this situation to identify those who need emergency assistance,” he noted.

As Habitegeko said, 14 detahs have been registered in Karongi, 26 in Rutsiro, 18 in Rubavu, 19 in Nyabihu and 18 in Ngororero.

He urged residents in high risk zones to move to safer places.

The rain poured down across the whole province but Nyamasheke and Rusizi districts have not yet registered major ravages.

In Bwishyura Sector, a cliff collapsed on a house where three of eight occupants died on spot while survivors are in critical condition at a nearby hospital.

In the same sector, another incident happened in Bapfune where two people managed to leave a house that collapsed while a five-year old child was still trapped inside by press time.

Two more children died as a house collapsed in Nyarugenge Village in Rubengera Sector.

The downpour has also destroyed infrastructures including roads.