Heavy Rains Leave at Least 53 Dead in Rwanda Since January

(Bloomberg) --

At least 53 people have died in Rwanda since January as heavy rains pound the East African country, according to an emailed statement by the ministry of emergency management.

• The rains and hailstorms have destroyed 196 hectares of crops
• Damaged 858 houses
• Damaged 23 roads, 17 bridges, one health center

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency forecast heavy rains to continue through May.

Most of East Africa was hit by downpours at the end of last year after an unusually long dry spell. By mid-December, hundreds of people had been killed in the region as strong waters destroyed homes and rendered roads and bridges impassable.

READ: The Good and Bad of East Africa’s Delayed Rains in Charts

To contact the reporter on this story: Saul Butera in Kigali at sbutera2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Gordon Bell

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