Heavy Rains In Rwanda Claim Lives Of 12 People, Expected To Intensify - Reports

-stop heavy rains across Rwanda have already left 12 people killed and are expected to continue for at least three more days, causing severe floods and prompting authorities to evacuate people from affected areas, Rwandan media reported on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th December, 2019) Non-stop heavy rains across Rwanda have already left 12 people killed and are expected to continue for at least three more days, causing severe floods and prompting authorities to evacuate people from affected areas, Rwandan media reported on Thursday.

According to the KT Press news agency citing officials, more people could have died had the government not relocated people to the currently relatively safe capital city of Kigali. Kigali itself now got hit by the rain, as can be seen in photo and video footage from the scene showing streets flooded by and vehicles half-buried in mudwater.

"During this heavy rain period, MINEMA [the Rwandan Ministry of Emergency Management] reminds Rwandans to avoid traveling utilizing rainwater flooded roads. Further, people living in wetlands and other high risk zones are requested to relocate to save their lives and properties," the ministry said on Twitter.

With a reference to Rwanda Meteorology Agency, KT Press said that more rains were expected until Saturday. Meteorologists reportedly explained the heavy precipitation by the fact that the winds, initially blowing from east to west, made an abrupt U-turn and pushed the moisture from neighboring Congo's forests toward Rwanda.