Flooding in Burundi kills 12

KAMPALA, Uganda

At least 12 people are confirmed dead and more than 30 others injured due to flooding caused by heavy rains overnight in Winterekwa, a neighborhood in Burundi’s capital Bujumbura, Minister of Public Security Alain Guillaume Bunyoni said Sunday.

The rains caused the Cari river to overflow and invade the homes of nearby residents, destroying an unknown number of houses.

“The river deviated from its bed because of debris and tree trunks that were brought by the river waters from uphill. Security forces and the security ministry’s partners including the Burundi Red Cross are doing their best to restore the river to its bed in order to reduce the damage,” Bunyoni said.

He urged people living near the affected area to temporarily evacuate and return after the riverbed has been rehabilitated, adding the government will prepare a site to house homeless people who are unable to find others to host them.

At least 26 people in northwestern Burundi were killed at the beginning of the month by landslides triggered by heavy rains.