Officials in NW Burundi confirmed on Thursday, December 5, 2019, that at least 38 people died after heavy rains caused landslides in the country's Cibitoke province on December 4.
Reports of deadly landslides are coming from three localities north of the commercial capital Bujumbura, Pierre Nkurikiye, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security said.
22 bodies were recovered in Nyuempundu, 3 in Gikomero and 13 in Rukombe.
"This is a provisional death toll," Nkurikiye said, adding that many houses were damaged.
All the victims were living on a hillside which gave way after heavy rains on Wednesday, a local government official in the northwestern province of Cibitoke told Reuters.
URGENT - #Mugina : the population attempts to recover survivors following torrential rains that left dozens of deaths (province of #Cibitoke, northwest Burundi). #Burundi pic.twitter.com/xeej6lZuLx
— SOS Médias Burundi (@SOSMediasBDI) December 5, 2019
URGENT - 38 persons yesterday lost their lives several houses and crops fields destroyed following heavy rains in the district of #Mugina (#Cibitoke province, North-West Burundi). The police say it's a provisional death toll. #Burundi pic.twitter.com/lk3QiBSow8
— SOS Médias Burundi (@SOSMediasBDI) December 5, 2019
Search and rescue operations are in progress.
Featured image credit: NASA Terra/MODIS. Acquired December 4, 2019
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