Rwanda is expected to receive above-average rainfall in May.

“Flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains last night in Western Province has caused over 55 deaths,” government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

A video clip posted on the state-run Rwanda Broadcasting Agency’s Twitter account showed muddy water running along a road and houses that had been destroyed.

JUST IN
Heavy rains and floods have led to the loss of at least 55 lives in @RwandaWest.

#RBANews pic.twitter.com/hGlR7ESNQR

— Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) (@rbarwanda) May 3, 2023

“It rained heavily all night, causing immense suffering in the districts of Ngororero, Rubavu, Nyabihu, Rutsiro, and Karongi,” Francois Habitegeko, governor of the Western Province, told Reuters news agency.

“We have lost many lives and families. Around 55 people have died, not to mention the wounded and those trapped under their houses. We are trying to rescue as many people as possible.

“The soil was already soaked from the previous days of rain, which caused landslides that closed roads.”

Habitegeko said the rain started at about 6pm (16:00 GMT) on Tuesday and the River Sebeya burst its banks.

The Rwanda Meteorology Agency said the East African nation is expected to receive above-average rainfall in May.