26 KILLED AS LANDSLIDES HIT NORTH-WESTERN BURUNDI

A woman is rescued following landslides in Cibitoke province, northwest Burundi

By Our Correspondent, Cibitoke BURUNDI

At least 26 people have been confirmed dead and seven others injured in a landslide in Burundi’s Cibitoke province, northwest of the country.

“There was a landslide on December 4, around 4pm in Mugina commune following heavy rains. Currently the death toll is at 26 but 10 people are still missing,” said Burundi’s police spokesman Pierre Nkurikiye in a statement.

Rescue and recovery operations are still ongoing.

The loss of life comes at a time when the East African Community is expected to set up an urgent response fund for floods and environmental disaster for affected communities.

According to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Unocha), unusually heavy rainfall and flooding have claimed more than 280 people across the East African region, affected more than 2.8 million people.